Very much word of mouth at the moment, but it’s the time of year when the University of London Korean Society have their Korea Night at the Conway Hall, near Holborn tube. I hear it’s this coming Thursday, 22 February, from 6pm. I’ll update this post as I hear more details – but maybe if … [Read More]
Month: February 2007 (page 2)
Charity concert at Asia House in aid of North Korean children
A charity concert in aid of Korea Foundation for World Aid (한민족 복지재단) has been organised for 23 February. Further details in the flier below (click on it for a larger, more legible version). [Read More]
Six party talks, round 5
The text of the joint agreement on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament as provided by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and reproduced in the International Herald Tribune: The Third Session of the Fifth Round of the Six-Party Talks was held in Beijing among the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, the Republic … [Read More]
Kim Soyong at the Birds Eye View film festival
From the website of the Birds Eye View Film Festival, a festival of emerging woman filmmakers: In Between Days So Yong Kim, Canada/Korea, 2006, 85′ event total 95′ Subtitled Friday 9th March ICA CINEMA 2: 8.30PM Monday 12th March ICA CINEMA 2: 8.30PM “A slow-burning and memorable gem on the loneliness of a stranger in … [Read More]
Korean short films in Futureshorts February programme
Futureshorts’ February programme is themed for Valentine’s Day. Two Korean shorts will be making an appearance. A Vital Activity (생산적 활동) Dir: Joum-kyun Oh, 2003 An irrepressible need to make love sends a young couple on a quest for a suitable location A Path of Tears Dir: Sujin Jo, 2005 A beautifully sorrowful animation about … [Read More]
Dulsori celebrates New Year in New Malden
The lunar new year came to a girls school in New Malden yesterday with more than a few bangs. Samulnori percussion group Dulsori visited Coombe Girls School in Clarence Avenue for a spectacular one hour concert in front of an enthusiastic audience of pupils and visitors — including the mayor of Kingston. The audience didn’t … [Read More]
Happy lunar new year
Best wishes for the year of the golden pig to all our visitors. [Read More]
No Wonjogyoje, but lots of bum cleavage
You can’t use refined language when it comes to Seunghee Kang’s work. It’s vibrant, lively, robust, and anything but refined. The colours leap out at you, the images full of fun but also somehow disturbing. And it’s difficult to know what to make of them. The centrepiece of the “Odd Couple” show in Bermondsey is … [Read More]
The Odd Couple at Gallery Yujiro
Seunghee Kang, creator of the “farting Mrs Blair” embroidery at the Still Dynamics show at the Jerwood Space in December, is one half of the Odd Couple currently showing at Gallery Yujiro in Bermondsey. Here’s the press release. The Odd Couple 16 February – 21 April 2007 Gallery Yujiro | Studio Unit A502 Tower Point … [Read More]
ARCO Madrid: final programme details
Here are the final details for everything that’s going on in Madrid this month. Korean events at ARCO Korean galleries at ARCO Complete ARCO social programme, including non-Korean stuff, but this is a day-by-day calendar, giving useful data such as timings of all the Korean films. Note that poet Ko Un will be making an … [Read More]
Hallyu and nationalism stories
A brief round-up of recent hallyu and nationalism stories. Rain’s producer, Park Jin-young, says the word “Korean” should be removed from “Korean Wave”. “I don’t understand why the Korean wave is taken as the rah-rah material,” Mr. Park said. “Now is the time to overcome nationalism, but instead we are intensifying that sentiment.” Park has … [Read More]
Kia Cee’d gets the thumbs up
The consensus among the motoring journalists is that Jeremy Clarkson might have to start revising his views on Korean cars (1). Korean cars in the UK have the reputation of competing on price rather than quality. But all this seems to be changing with the Kia Cee’d. From the FT this weekend: This is the … [Read More]
The Leeum Art Gallery, Seoul
A brief walk from Hangangjin subway stop (line 6) near Itaewon is the Leeum Gallery, set up by Samsung. No expense has been spared on the building itself, with prestigious foreign architects engaged to build it, and an impressive collection of artworks. The building itself is very spacious, and has three main sections. Older artworks … [Read More]
A meeting with Bloody Cookie
By Anna Lindgren In 2005 I came across a band making music unlike anything I had previously heard coming out of South Korea: Bloody Cookie. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get an interview with Bloody Cookie’s lead vocalist, Binna (right). Some years ago, Binna decided she wanted to launch a girl … [Read More]
Welcome to two new contributors
Firstly, my apologies to Peter Corbishley for not welcoming him earlier. Peter kindly did the write-up of the Korea Business Reception while I was on my travels, and I hope he will contribute again in the future: he’s a loyal follower of the various Korean cultural events in London. And welcome to Anna Lindgren from … [Read More]
Celebrity news round-up: January 07
Rain, LKL’s man of the year 2006 has started 2007 on a low-note with a speeding ticket in Hong Kong at the start of his gruelling tour. He also underwhelmed one reporter at a Singapore press conference who found him just a little dull. This wasn’t a reflection on his performance on-stage (and I’ve yet … [Read More]