There are currently 20 dramas airing on Korean TV, all vying for recognition, ratings and cult status. Some are filmed in advance, some are still being filmed even as they are starting to be aired, all having press conferences, on-set interviews, and mass produced replicas of special items from the story, not to mention the … [Read More]
Year: 2009 (page 17)
Konglish in K-pop
Does Epik High have the same language coach as the Wonder Girls? “-t you” ≠ “choo” #(Epik High: No reason to live withow choo / Wonder Girls: I want nobody nobody bah choo) [Read More]
The Fox Family (구미호 가족, 2006) review: monsters, music and the meaning of humanity
At the same time, a horror film, a black comedy, a musical extravaganza and a love story, The Fox Family asks whether humanity is reserved for, and often wasted on, humans. A genuinely funny and engaging film which, like its characters, has more to it than initially meets the eye. [Read More]
The LKL Korea Trip 2009 pt 7: Korea House
Tuesday 21 July 2009 A slowish start to the day. Too much alcohol and food (and salt?) the previous evening, plus the heat and humidity of the Busan weather, meant that sleep did not come easily. A brief tube ride to Busan Station to the KTX for Seoul. On the Busan subway, a whim makes … [Read More]
A strange place for a taegugki…
Just encountered a taegugki among the hazardous plants at RHS Wisley: #. Strange place to find one. [Read More]
Taekwondo, Technology, Kimchi & more
In the second Global Korea lecture of 2009, Ramy Salameh from the Korea Tourism Organisation examines what Korea has to offer as a holiday destination: Taekwondo, Technology, Kimchi & more: A touristic overview of South Korea Tuesday 25 August 2009 at 6:30pm Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Culture shock, modern, unique, dynamic, sparkling, friendly, technological, ancient! … [Read More]
Il Mare (시월애, 2000) review: classic time-spanning romance via mysterious mailbox
Telling a time-spanning romance between two lonely individuals who connect through a mysterious mailbox, Il Mare is unashamedly romantic but never resorts to being sappy. Warmth exudes from the characters, the dialogue and the screen imagery and the whole film feels like it could be real – quite something considering the other-worldliness of the story. [Read More]
August events 2009
Here are the events for August that I know about: Featured event The big Korean Festival takes place at the Fairfield Recreation Ground in Kingston, 15 Aug. After a break last year, the festival is back Exhibitions Cha Jeongrye participates in a group show at Albemarle until 5 September Kim Ayoung’s solo show at I-MYU … [Read More]
The LKL Korea Trip 2009 pt 6: Haeinsa
Monday 20 July 2009 The trip to Haeinsa is via Daegu. A quick tube journey to the inappropriately named Busan Central Bus Terminal – at the northernmost extremity of the Busan public transport system (Nopodong), and then the express bus to East Daegu station takes nearly two hours. Another tube to the Seobu bus terminal … [Read More]
Kingston Korean Festival 2009: 15 August
After a break in 2008, the Kingston Korean Festival is back this year on 15 August, timed to coincide with the liberation of Korea from Japan in 1945. As usual, the event is at the Fairfield Recreation Ground in Kingston, and there will be lots of food stalls. Here’s the provisional running order, though as … [Read More]
It’s finally happened: Housemaid on DVD
It had to happen eventually. It’s been at the top of every Korean film buff’s most-wanted DVD release for longer than we can all remember. They’ve been working on polishing up the print and subtitles for rather too long. Versions of the film have been available at film festivals for a while – we saw … [Read More]
Korean Literature essay contest
Now here’s the kind of initiative I like. The Korean Cultural Centre has teamed up with the Korean Literature Translation Institute to bring you the inaugural Korean Literature Essay Contest. In what I hope will be the first of many contests of this nature, the subject text is the novel on which Jang Sung-woo based … [Read More]
Naturalized Korean Charm Lee to Head Korea Tourism Organization
A press release announcing the new KTO head. On July 30, 2009, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) announced that German-born naturalized Korean Charm Lee (55) has been appointed as their new President and CEO. His appointment was based on the Korean government’s decision that he is the most well qualified figure to develop and promote … [Read More]
World Cup 2010 Qualifiers: A Tale of Two Koreas
by Aashish Gadhvi World Cup 2010 is just around the corner people, and I for one can’t wait! Another magnificent summer of the beautiful game is only a year away, which means that the first batch of teams have qualified. The way that the Asian Qualifiers are structured means that often the Asian teams are … [Read More]
Many ways to enjoy Korea
The language classes at the Korean Cultural Centre attract a really interesting spectrum of people, from English businessmen to Bae Yong-joon besotted Japanese housewives, via museum curators and people married to a Korean. In my own language classes, apart from the above, was Jo, a TVXQ-obsessed party animal, who was good enough to review their … [Read More]
Crossfields – the official photos of the fashion designs
Here are the official images of the fashion designs on show at the Crossfields exhibition at the KCC, which formally opens tomorrow and lasts until the middle of September. Choi Eudon Choi Jin-woo Heo Hwan Kate Ko Yun-ju Kim Jae-hwan Lee Chung-chung Lee Hyun-shick aka Sean Park Hwan-sung [Read More]