So much has changed over the past few years. Nearly 10 years ago Asia House organised the London premiere screening of Lady Vengeance including a Q&A with the director, Park Chan-wook. It was hard not to squirm in embarrassment at the shallowness of some of the questions from the audience, and the moderator could have … [Read More]
Front Page
Five from the archive
David Halberstam’s Korean War
David Halberstam The Coldest Winter – America and the Korean War 718pp, Hyperion, 2007 The subtitle of David Halberstam’s magnum opus, The Coldest Winter – America and the Korean War, at first seems a bit unimaginative. But it is to the point. After all, without Truman’s decision to commit US ground forces, the whole Korean … [Read More]
2017 travel diary 7: A trip to Jeonju
Jeonju. Food capital of Korea. Slow City. Home to the famous Hanok Village. Ancestral seat of the Yi family, the royal house of the Joseon dynasty. Host of the Jeonju International Film Festival. Home to the hanji museum, the royal portrait museum… All this I knew about the capital of Jeonbuk province before my visit … [Read More]
Review: Korean Breeze – Bloomsbury Theatre 24 May
An evening which displayed the rich variety of Korean traditional music. This was a big enterprise, with twelve distinguished musicians involved in the tour, organised by Justina Jang of the Korean Cultural Promotion Agency as part of Think Korea 2006. The musicians played earlier the same week in the Hollywell Music Room in Oxford and … [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary #18: The hike to Beopgyesa
Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Thursday 29 March 2012. The road through Jungsan-ri stops in a car park beyond which are the Jirisan National Park office and a barrier across the road. Jungsan-ri is the start of the shortest (but not necessarily the gentlest) trail to Cheonwanbong, Jirisan’s highest peak. We are permitted to proceed through the barrier, shaving … [Read More]
Recent Posts
Theatre round-up: four recent Korean stage productions
This year in London we have been fortunate so far to have enjoyed four Korean stage productions: two imports with a run of several weeks each, and two shoestring-budget local productions with a handful of performances. Which would we go to see again? Do the plucky locals win out over the imports? [Read More]
K-Music Festival 2024: an introduction
The programme for the 2024 K-Music Festival is quite possibly the best yet. For LKL, the real gems are the opening and closing events. We hear that the National Changgeuk Company‘s Lear, which opens the festival, is every bit as good as their Trojan Women, which we raved about; and for the closing event pretty … [Read More]
Korean Wave or Korean Tsunami? The Next-Gen Late Night at the Korean Cultural Centre
On Friday 31st May, the Korean Cultural Centre UK hosted its inaugural networking event for young professionals and opinion leaders titled ‘Next Gen Late Night.’ The evening was aimed at bringing people together to discuss not only the explosion of global interest in Korean culture (known as Hallyu) but crucially, as the target audience of … [Read More]
Oh Myung-hee’s tribute to female spirituality and springtime
If you find yourself in the Sloane Square area over the Easter period, do pop in to the Garrison Chapel in the new Chelsea Barracks development. It’s a lovely, airy space used primarily for exhibitions, and currently there’s a group show, launched on International Women’s Day, featuring work by eighteen female artists. One of those … [Read More]
2024 Festival of Korean Dance programme details announced
Last year, the Festival of Korean Dance for the first time played to audiences in Salford, Coventry and Brighton. The year the festival extends its reach into Scotland, with its first performance in Glasgow. Salford, Newcastle and Bournemouth will also get to experience one of the productions. The full press release follows, with links at … [Read More]
Review: Hera Hyesang Park’s stunning London debut
When faced with the choice of attending a recital by an opera singer I usually politely decline, whatever the reputation of the singer. The prospect of what is usually a selection of operatic arias performed outside of their dramatic context holds little appeal for me, particularly if the recital is accompanied by a piano reduction … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Infinite Blue: A dialogue between East and West, at Han Collection
This unique showcase features the works of two distinguished artists: Huh Sangwook from South Korea, and Piet Stockmans from Belgium. Their selected works explore the colour blue, serving as a bridge between Western and Eastern artistic traditions and philosophies. Cobalt Blue has been a sought-after pigment throughout the centuries, prized for its vivid hue and … [Read More]
B.I 2024 European Hype Up tour in London
B.I is a South Korean musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, signed under his own label, 131 Label. Since the release of his first solo album in 2021, B.I has been making creating a stir in the music industry through various achievements on a global scale. “Illa Illa” from his debut album “Waterfall” was the first … [Read More]
Symposium: Interrogating “K-Culture” – Religion, culture and philosophy through multicultural perspectives
KAEP (Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture in Sungkyunkwan University), the SOAS Centre for Korean Studies and the Centre of Islamic Studies at SOAS are proud to announce a collaborative international symposium on Interrogating ‘K-Culture’: Religion, culture and philosophy through multicultural perspectives. The symposium aims to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and expertise about the … [Read More]
UCLan Korean Culture Day and exhibition 2024
UCLan’s 2024 Korea Day celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the International Institute of Korean Studies at UCLan (IKSU) along with the Preston Sejong Institute. The Korea Day on 9 October is accompanied by a special celebratory exhibition, 8 – 11 October Korea Day Programme Celebration Cake Cutting Violin Performance (performed by Artistic Director Hyung Joon … [Read More]
Jeju 4:3 Archives on Truth & Reconciliation
Brunswick Art Gallery is proud to welcome the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Cultural Heritage Administration of the Republic of Korea to the gallery to host this important historical exhibition. Jeju is a beautiful island located in the southern part of Korea, renowned for its exceptional natural scenery, which has earned it three UNESCO … [Read More]
‘Korean Feminist Artists: Confront and Deconstruct’ – Book Launch & Panel Discussion
Explore the vibrant history and profound cultural resonance of feminist art from Korea and the diaspora at this panel discussion in celebration of Phaidon’s new publication Korean Feminist Artists: Confront and Deconstruct. Author Dr Kim Hong-hee and editor Michele Robecchi will be in conversation with scholar and curator Uta Meta Bauer, critic and theorist Rita, and … [Read More]
The above events list includes recent updates to events which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update confirming venue or ticket link). A chronological listing of all event notices published, most recent first, can be found here. A list of all upcoming events can be found here.
Recent Book updates
Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations: Drivers, Linkages, and Strategic Ambivalence
Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations reveals the genesis and evolution of Southeast Asian countries’ diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) by unpacking the underlying political, economic, and security connections. In this book, chapters analyse in detail the individual bilateral linkages of the ten states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) … [Read More]
The Black Box: Demystifying the Study of Korean Unification and North Korea
North Korea is commonly thought of as the most mysterious place in the world. The country is marked by its opacity and inaccessibility, its inner workings seen as impossible for outsiders to grasp. In this groundbreaking book, the leading scholar and practitioner Victor D. Cha shines a light into the “black box” of North Korea … [Read More]
Every Moment Was You: Notes on Loving and Parting [forthcoming]
The Korean best-selling title since 2018 and the winner of the 2018 YES 24 Book of the Year Award, that encourages us to celebrate our ordinary life and love in every moment, Every Moment Was You, is finally available in English! ✨ Captured the hearts of more than 500,000 readers in South Korea. ✨ As … [Read More]
Korean Feminist Artists: Confront and Deconstruct [forthcoming]
Explore the vibrant history and profound cultural resonance of feminist art from Korea and the diaspora Renowned curator and scholar Dr. Kim Hong-hee’s book is the first to delve into Korean feminist artists’ impact on the East Asian cultural landscape. This unprecedented visual survey celebrates the work of 42 contemporary artists, from rising stars to … [Read More]
The Governor’s Case File
In a peaceful village in Joseon Korea, the newly appointed governor is startled to learn that all the butterflies have disappeared. He proceeds to investigate the peculiar case in this poignant short story that is at once historical fiction and cozy mystery. On a peaceful spring day, the young governor is looking forward to a … [Read More]
Pehera’s Curse
What do we worship, and what do we curse? In a dark cave atop a cliff in a forgotten village lives the last remaining butterfly… I am me. If you think of me as a butterfly, then yes, I may just be a butterfly. Yuhi Kim is a young scientist who studies the legendary butterfly … [Read More]
The above booklist includes recent updates to books which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update to reflect a release of cover art, or a new review). A chronological listing of all books uploaded, most recent first, can be found here.