Imagine Hamlet scripted / co-directed by Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy), Ryu Seung-wan (Veteran / Unjust) and Yoon Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster), with dialogue input from Yang Ik-joon (Breathless), and music by Cho Young-wook (Oldboy) and you’re starting to get close what this production is like. The setting is moved from Denmark to an abattoir which has a … [Read More]
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Five from the archive
Exhibition visit: Haenyeo, Women of the Sea, at National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich, played host to an exhibition featuring South Korea’s latest inclusion in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Life-size photographs of Jeju’s famous diving women were dotted around a building which began life in 1807 as a school for the children of British seafarers. … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Young In Hong – The Moon’s Trick
The Moon’s Trick, a multi-faceted show featuring recent work of Young In Hong, was the 2017 KCC’s Artist of the Year exhibition. Hong’s work is multi-disciplinary. For a long while it has involved embroidery: LKL’s first encounter with her work was as part of the KCC’s opening exhibition curated by Jiyoon Lee back in 2008, … [Read More]
Kim Ji-woon’s I Saw the Devil: more than just gore?
Aashish Gadhvi speaks on behalf of three LKL reviewers: Kim Ji-woon’s latest is a disappointment. Hype can be a film’s best friend or its worst enemy. In the case of some films it has worked (The Blair Witch Project) and in the case of others it has backfired spectacularly (Star Wars Prequels), but the fact … [Read More]
Korean Naval Firepower Part 2 – Koryo and Columbus
Choe Museon was not the inventor of heavy artillery, although he made many innovative variations of the concept. Why did other countries not simply take their cannons and heavy firearms with them on board their ships? The problem with a wooden ship is, if its displacement is sufficiently small, the recoil of a heavy weapon … [Read More]
Recent Posts
June events 2026
If K-pop and club music isn’t your thing, June so far seems to be a reasonably quiet month, which after such a busy May is no bad thing. Exhibitions Architect Byoung Soo Cho has a solo exhibition at the Coronet Theatre until 6 June The KCCUK’s current exhibition Icheon and Beyond — The Space Within … [Read More]
Intelligence with Soul: Dr Seunghye Sun on AI, K-Culture, and the Art of Human Connection
Jennifer Paun, who organised and hosted KCCUK Director Seunghye Sun’s valedictory talk at the University Women’s Club, gives her impressions of the evening. On the evening of Tuesday 24 March 2026, it was a great pleasure for me to welcome Dr Seunghye Sun to the University Women’s Club for her lecture, K-Everything with AI: Rethinking … [Read More]
Hangul Celluloid content is now available on LKL
Three months ago Hangul Celluloid‘s Paul Quinn made the shock announcement that he was going to close down his site, taking it offline today, 23 March. He also extended an invitation: So, for those of you who still feel there’s stuff worth grabbing from there, grab it now… ‘coz when it’s gone, it’s gone… And … [Read More]
What do you think about Korean literature in translation?
Long story, but I find that I have managed to get myself committed to giving a talk on how Korean literature in translation is received by English-speaking readers. It’s a bit of a tall order. And while I can of course articulate the ways in which I personally am drawn to Korean literature, why I … [Read More]
Festival of Korean Dance 2026 – programme details announced
Here’s the official press release for the 2026 Festival of Korean dance. This year, festival returns to the Tramway in Glasgow, as well as touring to Bournemouth, Salford and Newcastle. A Festival of Korean Dance tours five venues in its ninth year 2025 Olivier Award nominee Young-doo Jung presents a new work inspired by the … [Read More]
When life becomes war: a look at Park Chan-wook’s darkly humorous No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook’s latest offering is, as expected of the legendary director, a dark and morally complex exploration of its subject matter – overtly the state of the contemporary job market, and covertly cycles of generational trauma and violence. It is dark and violent, like many Park Chan-wook films, but also at times deeply funny. [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Kang Yuchan x From20 “Body Talk” tour in London
Singer and actor KANG YUCHAN debuted in 2017 as a member of A.C.E and has continued to build a diverse career on the global stage. Alongside his musical activities, he has also established a solid acting career, expressing his journey of growth as an artist who stays true to himself through his music from20 is … [Read More]
ITZY 3rd World Tour “Tunnel Vision” in London
Following the release of their acclaimed new EP Motto and the launch of their global ITZY 3RD WORLD TOUR earlier this year, international K-pop superstars ITZY have announced the European and UK leg of the tour, presented by Live Nation. ITZY 3rd World Tour in Europe/UK supports the group’s acclaimed November mini-album TUNNEL VISION, which … [Read More]
Bang Yongguk “Haebang” tour in London
Former B.A.P leader, rapper and producer Bang Yongguk returns to London this September with the latest chapter of his acclaimed Haebang (解方) tour. Known for his gravel‑toned delivery, introspective lyricism and a production style that blends brooding hip‑hop with cinematic instrumentation, Yongguk has carved out one of the most distinctive solo paths among second‑generation idols. … [Read More]
ATEEZ play BST Hyde Park 2026
The acclaimed South Korean group return to London to make their Hyde Park headline debut for a UK Exclusive show. BST’s vast Hyde Park setting offers a rare chance to see ATEEZ scale their theatrical live production to festival proportions, with a set likely to draw from their recent Golden Hour: Part 1 era alongside … [Read More]
Korea: the Lee Kun-Hee bequest, at the British Museum
Discover the story of Korea’s distinctive and vibrant arts – from 300 BC to the present day. Featuring outstanding examples of sculpture, painting and decorative arts over two millennia – up to the present day – the exhibition presents the most comprehensive chronological survey of Korean visual and material culture seen in Europe for over … [Read More]
2026 British Korean War Veterans Remembrance Day
More than 70 years ago, young men travelled thousands of miles from home to defend the freedom of a country they had never seen before. Today, because of their courage and sacrifice, generations of Koreans live in peace and freedom. On 27 June, the Korean Veterans Association UK gathers not only to remember their service, … [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
Earth Works: Houses by Byoung Cho
Earth Works: Houses by Byoung Cho offers a unique glimpse into the residential buildings of one of Korea’s most influential architects. This visually stunning monograph combines photography, plans, drawings, paintings and models to provide an exclusive overview of this rarely published aspect of Byoung’s work. Focused entirely around fifteen private and rarely seen residences, the … [Read More]
Mukja: Let’s Eat!: Fan-Favorite Recipes from K-Pop, K-Dramas & More [forthcoming]
Celebrate the flavors of hallyu with more than 65 mukbang-worthy recipes inspired by Korean dramas, movies, and music. The Korean Wave, or hallyu, has seen the K-food craze spread globally, spurred by the popularity of cultural exports like K-pop and K-dramas. From dalgona coffee to cheese-filled corndogs, Korean trends are taking over, both on-screen and … [Read More]
The Promised Republic: Developmental Society and the Making of Modern Seoul, 1961-1979
In The Promised Republic, Russell Burge offers a bold new history of South Korea’s rapid development. By focusing on the experience of rural-to-urban migrants who built and lived in Seoul’s shantytowns, Burge historicizes national development as a site of struggle with the urban poor at its center. What would a society of postcolonial abundance look like? … [Read More]
Orange and the Bread Knife [forthcoming]
The thrilling high-concept Korean bestseller about conforming to society’s standards, where one woman decides she has HAD ENOUGH Oh Young-a, a warm-hearted schoolteacher, lives to please – smiling through people’s demands, moulding her hobbies and even her heart to match what others deem to be “right”. But beneath her cheerful facade, the weight of constant … [Read More]
K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry Into Why We Love Korean Television
From the Emmy Award-winning Squid Game to streaming sensations like The Glory and Crash Landing on You, Korean television has emerged onto the global pop culture scene as compelling television—but what exactly makes these shows so irresistibly bingeable? And what can we learn about our societies and ourselves from watching them? From stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung … [Read More]
I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan
Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror meets Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings in a meditation that blends memoir and cultural criticism to explore how the author’s love affair with K-pop has shaped her sense of self, charting K-pop’s complex coming-of-age through some of its biggest idols. I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan is a … [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.