I hope you don’t mind a bit of trumpet-blowing to thank some new contributors to London Korean Links. Some of them may be one-off, others more long-lasting; all are welcome. Elizabeth Grace covered Stephen Epstein’s recent talk in Cambridge, while Darren Southcott visits Jeju Stone Park and Colette Balmain compares Bong Joon-ho’s murder mysteries. Other … [Read More]
Month: November 2009
Girl bands through the ages
A disappointing piece from the tabloids – Five Decades of Korean Girl Bands http://bit.ly/608Pro #. Fortunately Mark Russell over at Korea Pop Wars rectifies the situation. [Read More]
Brief review: Kyung Ran Jo: Tongue
Kyung Ran Jo: Tongue Tr Chi-young Kim Korean version 2007 English version Bloomsbury 2009 A lightweight and enjoyable book set among the foodies and fashionistas of Kangnam. A talented young cook is ditched by her trendy architect boyfriend, and spends much of the book getting over it, in a way that is a pleasure to … [Read More]
KIKOs are enforceable after all
Invest Korea Journal: Knock-in, Knock-out (KIKO) contracts may be enforceable after all, but normal suitability principles apply: http://bit.ly/zLXq3p # [Read More]
Jeju’s destiny is set in stone
Darren Southcott, recently returned from a stint in Jeju-do, appreciates one of the island’s unique attractions: Jeju Stone Park In this age of globalisation, authentic Korea may seem elusive and challenging for the visitor to find, but there are many sites which seek to preserve the nation’s cultural spirit. Jeju Island, despite heavy tourist development, … [Read More]
Foreigners’ Favorite Korean Souvenirs
Nail clippers – the obvious souvenir of your holiday in Korea: “In China, Korean nail clippers are regarded as luxury goods. Chinese people like gold, so they buy dozens of gold-colored nail clippers when they come to Korea,” says the Chosun Ilbo http://bit.ly/5nMSMJ # [Read More]
Honey Lee crosses over into musicals
Honey Lee on Her Love for the Gayageum – The Chosun Ilbo has a brief feature which mentions her latest outing as the Reese Witherspoon character in Legally Blonde http://bit.ly/4uTbW3 # [Read More]
Yi Chuljin returns
Yi (Lee) Chuljin is an exceptional Korean dancer who has perfected his Buddhist and Shaman-inspired repertories, including Seungmu (Korean Monk dance) and Salpuri (Korean Exorcism dance), which are generally regarded as the most highly accomplished and most aesthetic folk/stage dance forms in Korea. He is particularly known for emotion and aesthetic understanding that is incredibly … [Read More]
Aiding North Korean defectors
“Aiding North Korea defectors: A high-stakes spy mission” an interesting and well written case study or two in the LA Times: http://bit.ly/8alWaQ # [Read More]
Human Rights and Military-First Politics in the DPRK. Song Jiyoung at Chatham House
Notice of an upcoming lunchtime round-table at Chatham House: Human Rights and Military-First Politics in the DPRK Tuesday 1 December 2009 13.15-14.30 Speaker: Dr Jiyoung Song, Politics and International Studies (POLIS), University of Cambridge Chair: DR JOHN SWENSON-WRIGHT, Associate Fellow, Asia Programme, Chatham House The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has produced a large … [Read More]
Brief review: Transreal at Asia House
The recent exhibition at Asia House, Transreal, presented two very different Korean artists side by side. There was a convenient area of overlap – both artists have produced mountain landscapes in red and white. But while one artist well-represented on these pages – Sea-hyun Lee – pursues his red landscapes with an almost obsessive single-mindedness, … [Read More]
US-North Korean Relations and the Peace System in the Korean Peninsula: A Historical Inquiry
Please find below the abstract and bio for the talk at SOAS on Friday. Friday, November 27th, 5pm, room G50 (main building) Prof. Wookhee Shin, Seoul National University / SOAS US-North Korean Relations and the Peace System in the Korean Peninsula: A Historical Inquiry Abstract This seminar will deal with six cases of US-North Korean … [Read More]
Sven and the North Koreans
How weird is this? The curious case of Notts County, their former adviser, Sven-Goran Eriksson, and a North Korean bigwig | The Guardian http://bit.ly/4HeQGS # [Read More]
Mother reveals Bong’s perversity
This report captures director Bong Joon-ho’s insights on his subversive thriller, detailing his “perverse” casting of icons Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin against their established types. Bong discusses his meticulous control over “feminine” landscapes and storyboards, ultimately emphasizing how the primal maternal instinct can transform a mother into a monster in her desperate quest to protect. [Read More]
Wunderkammer at Sesame Art
News of an upcoming group exhibition at Sesame Art, including the work of two Korean artists. We are pleased to announce Wunderkammer, the Chamber of Discoveries, our Christmas exhibition bringing together exciting artists from across the world in an exhibition full of diversity and discovery. Following last year’s Christmas garden, the Wunderkammer focuses on the … [Read More]
Predicting Change in North Korea: the Post Kim Jong-il Era
The University of Cambridge Department of East Asian Studies is pleased to announce the following lecture in its series of East Asian seminars. This seminar will take place on Wednesday, November 25th in Room 7 of the Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (formerly Oriental Studies), Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge from 12.30-14.00 Please note: this … [Read More]