In fifty years since the Korean War, South Korea was catapulted from being one of the poorest countries on the planet, on a par with Ethiopia and Bangladesh, to being one of the OECD countries with a GDP that hovers between 11th and 13th in the world, depending on exchange rates. Now Mr Charm Lee, … [Read More]
Month: November 2009 (page 2)
Looking at Korea through a glass sphere
British photographer (and English teacher in Korea) Simon Bond sees Korea through a glass sphere – a nice article in the Daily Telegraph http://bit.ly/3NW0oi # Simon Bond’s websites: on Flickr | 369photography.co.uk (where you can buy his work). [Read More]
Untold Scandal screens at the KCC
Notice of the next screening at the Cultural Centre, on Thursday 26 November: Title: Untold Scandal (2003) Time and Date: 7 pm, 26 November 2009 Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, KCC Director: E J-Yong Runtime: 120 mins Synopsis: Based on the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Untold Scandal is set in aristocratic 18th century Korea at the end … [Read More]
The art of hanok living
It’s good to see westerners other other than David Kilburn pointing out that you don’t have to demolish a Hanok to make it inhabitable: http://bit.ly/4GWamM #. Peter Bartholomew and Tom Coyner in the Joongang Daily. There is a belief in Korea (and other Asian countries) that total demolition of an old traditional building and new … [Read More]
Uncertain States: a second look
Peter Corbishley also pays a visit to the photographic show in Commercial Road Alerted by LKL, it was a pleasant surprise, on my way back from eating Korean food in New Malden, to pop into Photo Space at the bottom of the road where I live. Two Korean photographers, Jo Seong-hee and Park Ju-young, are … [Read More]
A view of Korea from Bangladesh
Peter Corbishley has just returned from a trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the Koreans are also active. In 2009 South Korea is putting some $320m investment into the Bangladeshi economy and nearly 160 companies are working there, including a third of all companies operating in the export processing zones. In addition in 2006, for example, … [Read More]
Are you being Serbed?
Aashish Gadhvi reviews Korea v Serbia at Craven Cottage on 18 November Two years ago Fulham’s Craven Cottage played host to a friendly match on a chilly winter evening between Korea and Greece, which went down a success. The stadium was full of crazy Korean fans singing and chanting throughout the match as Korea walked … [Read More]
Sulki Yu at the Wigmore
News of an upcoming recital at the Wigmore featuring talented Korean violinist Sulki Yu. PLG YOUNG ARTISTS Monday 30 November 2009 at 7.30pm Sulki Yu violin Chiao-Ying Chang piano Zalas Trio Carlota Amargós violin Beatrix Graf clarinet Nikolaos Stavlas piano PROGRAMME Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 ‘Ballade’ for solo violin Edwin Roxburgh: Sonata for violin and … [Read More]
Kim So-Ock at the Wigmore
Tuesday 1 December 2009 – 7:30 PM Wigmore Hall Performers So-Ock Kim violin Sunwook Kim piano Programme Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Op. 96 Chausson Poème Op. 25 Elgar Violin Sonata in E minor Op. 82 Ravel Tzigane About this concert Both natives of South Korea, So-Ock Kim is a previous gold medallist … [Read More]
Bird flu boosts sales of lucky pants
Bird flu boosts sales of lucky pants, says the Chosun Ilbo http://bit.ly/2zCuwR #. “With the H1N1 flu alert raised to the highest level, more people are buying underwear for their parents to prevent them from catching a cold,” says a department store spokesperson quoted in the article. “Red underwear looks warm and is traditionally said … [Read More]
An unforgettable Tea Tour
I really wish I didn’t have a day job. This trip, in May 2010, has got to be one of the most appealing prospects for a holiday that I can think of, particularly if you tack on a few days in Seoul first to take in Korean’s intangible cultural asset #1, the ancestral rites at … [Read More]
Woojung Chun’s library of mysteries
LKL completes its coverage of Korean artists at the 2009 Venice Biennale. If you browse the shopping streets of Venice, among the numerous tourist outlets selling carnival masks, murano glass and designer clothes, you might find one or two shops selling well-crafted model book-cases: too big for your average dolls house, but nevertheless covetable. Something … [Read More]
Breathless: can there be any escape from the cycle of violence?
Breathless (똥파리) is Yang Ik-june’s debut feature, in which he is also lead actor, and the film has deservedly won numerous awards. As the film opens, a man is beating up his girlfriend in the street. To the rescue comes Sang-hoon, played by Yang, who subdues the offender only to turn to the woman and … [Read More]
Korean and the Transeurasian languages: similarities that make a difference
More info about this Friday’s talk at SOAS: Friday, November 20th, 5pm, room G50 (main building) Dr. Martine Robbeets, University of Mainz Korean and the Transeurasian languages: similarities that make a difference Abstract: The term “Transeurasian” refers a group of geographically adjacent languages, stretching from Japan in the East to Lithuania in the West, that … [Read More]
Presenting Korean Culture 3: Communication is key
I have now, alas, given up asking the KCC to send me monthly details of their upcoming events. They have a monthly news-sheet available at their front desk, they know I like to be emailed a copy of it as soon as it is available in draft, but it never happens. They know my communication … [Read More]
Korean photographers in Uncertain States
Two Korean photographers, Jo Seong-hee and Park Ju-young, are currently participating in Uncertain States, a group show at Photo-Space Gallery, 530 Commercial Road, London E1 0HY (Near Limehouse DLR). Jo Seong-hee has been loitering in the City and Canary Wharf taking night time photographs of the cityscape, pasting them together in what initially seems a … [Read More]