By Michael Rank North Korean films are as hard to find as kimchi-flavoured ice cream, so Koryo Tours have done us a big favour by releasing on DVD Centre Forward, a highly watchable and fascinating Pyongyang production from 1978. It’s the tale of talented novice footballer Cha In-son (Kim Chol), who’s been on the bench … [Read More]
Year: 2010 (page 28)
Breen under pressure from Samsung
Which is more likely to make me stop buying Samsung products: an irreverent article by a British writer, or Samsung's heavy-handed response? http://bit.ly/cWnWfy # Update 13 May 2010: Samsung backs off from the civil suit, but Mike Breen still faces criminal charges [Read More]
Barefoot Ki-bong at the KCC
News of this month’s first film screening at the KCC: Film title: Barefoot Ki-bong, 2006, 100mins Director: Kwon Su-kyung Cast: Shin Hyeon-jun, Kim Su-mi Genre: Drama / Comedy Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, The Korean Cultural Centre, Grand Buildings, The Strand, London WC2N 5BW Time: Thursday, 13th May, 7:00pm Last week was Children’s Day (5 May) and … [Read More]
Royal Ancestors: the index
The diary of LKL’s 2010 trip to Korea at the invitation of the Korean Culture and Information Service’s Foreign Media Fellowship programme. Preface About this travel account A note on intangible cultural heritage Introduction 1. Royal Ancestors and Lee Young-ae 2. The Schedule Friday 30 April: Arrival 3. Moon Vases and Kim Gun Mo Saturday … [Read More]
From Brawn to Brain: Korean Economy at a Crossroads
South Korea’s opposition leader and corporate innovator is coming to Cambridge. The former candidate for South Korea’s Presidential Election 2007, Mr Moon Kook-Hyun is coming to Cambridge to deliver a special lecture on “From Brawn to Brain: Korean Economy at a Crossroads” on 14th May (Friday, 5 pm) at the Umney Theatre, Robinson College. He … [Read More]
Royal Ancestors – the Live Tweets
8 March: Just heard some good news. Time to start planning a trip to Seoul in early May # 13 April: Really looking forward to my Korea trip later this month. Jongmyo rituals in Seoul and springtime herbs in Sancheong, Gyeongsannamdo. Perfect. Provided the volcanic ash lets up.# 18 April: Will the 30 April Indieful … [Read More]
“The best North Korean Football-themed film of All Time”
The 1978 North Korean feature film Centre Forward is showing in London this Saturday May 8 at 9 pm at the Shortwave Cinema, Bermondsey. Details from their website: The classic North Korean football film based around footballer In Son who is about to make the leap from benchwarmer to key player of Taesongan FC, but … [Read More]
How close is this to your typical Korean TV drama?
Here’s collection of YouTubes of a Korean TV Drama spoof courtesy of MADtv. Although I’ve never watched a Korean TV drama from start to finish (the most I can claim is two episodes of Winter Sonata), I can kind of see that this spoof looks spot-on. How true to the mark is it? Starring Bobby … [Read More]
Death Bell (고死: 피의 중간고사, 2008) review: classroom carnage in mid-term exams
Death Bell is unlikely to cause viewers to alter their list of the best ever Korean horror films. But its old-school feel combined with nods to more recent horror fare, alongside references to the pressures that Korea’s school system places on pupils, parents and teachers alike, make it a welcome addition to the genre. [Read More]
Historiography and the Remaking of North Korea’s Ideology in the Age of Globalization
News of the first SOAS Friday evening seminar of the summer term: Friday, May 14th, 5pm, room B102 (Brunei Gallery, opposite SOAS main building) Professor Youngsoo Yook (Leiden University/Academy of Korean Studies) Historiography and the Remaking of North Korea’s Ideology in the Age of Globalization – Interpreting the Revised Edition of Dictionary of History Speaker … [Read More]
May Events 2010
Here are the events that I know about for May. Apologies for the poor presentation of this post, and probably a greater number of omissions than usual: a snail’s pace netbook, poor internet connection (yes, even in Seoul) and limited free time are conspiring against me at the moment. Featured event Chang-rae Lee, author of … [Read More]
What to do about the Cheonan?
Ask a Korean has a great article proposing various responses to the Cheonan sinking, including the eccentric "buy stealth bombers" http://bit.ly/aqrKWb. Someone else suggests the ingenious "sink the Pueblo" #. And another in-depth think-piece from AAK is here: ROKS Cheonan — What You Need to Know, What You Need to Think About [Read More]
“Antique” to screen at Terracotta Film Fest
Now in its second year, the Terracotta Far East Film Festival is 6-9 May 2010. The there’s loads of great films to see, and the Korean interest is provided by Antique on Saturday 8 May 2010 at 13:15 at the Prince Charles Cinema. LKL’s Saharial called it “a delicious slice of feel-good cinema“: Screening: Saturday … [Read More]
True Stories: Koh Sang Woo Solo Exhibition at Sesame
One of LKL’s favourite photographers has a solo show at Sesame Gallery in Islington, 6 May – 3 June 2010: Koh Sang Woo: True Stories Sesame Gallery 6 May – 3 June 2010 Koh Sang Woo has a taste for controversy. His images may look beautiful, but the stories beneath needle away at the unspoken … [Read More]
60% of actresses have been offered benefits for sex
A report jointly conducted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Korean Women’s Development Institute interviewed 111 actresses and 240 actress-hopefuls between September and December of last year, says the Korea Times. The findings? More than 60 percent of the interviewees received at least one proposal to have sexual intercourse from influential figures … [Read More]
2010: a bumper year for Korean film?
Not so long ago, the Korean film industry seemed to be in the doldrums. Darcy, Twitch and others were sounding notes of gloom that Korean cinema had lost its way. But then things picked up again, with blockbusters such as Haeundai, and new indie films such as Breathless making the headlines and bringing in the … [Read More]