Saharial reviews Kyu Won’s first album, released by Open Music on January 7th 2010 I bought this album simply on a whim. Maybe it was the cute artwork or perhaps it was the lure of an artist that wrote, sang and performed all his own work that was the lure. At least, that’s what I … [Read More]
Year: 2010 (page 37)
A historical mystery that’s well worth a look
Eternal Empire (1995) – a nice-looking costume drama about murder and court intrigue in the Yi dynasty soon after the death of Prince Sado – and an adaptation of Yi In-hwa’s excellent novel (reviewed here). It’s one of Darcy’s top 10 K-films of the 90s. I’m not quite as enthusiastic, but it’s well worth a … [Read More]
And then they all fell over…
Short track speed skating has got to be one of the most exciting sports to watch. Korea doing well. A couple of Brits in there too. # [Read More]
Contributions sought for adoptee anthology
A message just received from Perlita Harris for the British Association of Adoption and Fostering. We are editing an anthology of writing and poetry by adopted adults who were adopted in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland including adoptees born in another country (e.g. Korea) and raised by their adoptive family in the UK. This collection … [Read More]
iPhone boosts sausage sales
Snack sausage in alternative use as meat stylus – a substitute for your bare finger: Sausage sales have soared by 40% following a bout of cold weather and some smart chap discovering that CJ Corporation’s snack sausages have electrostatic properties that are rather similar to that of the human finger. Source: http://bit.ly/cQh6jY # [Read More]
Kim Yeon returns to the Albemarle Gallery
One of LKL’s favourite exhibitions of 2009 was Korean Aesthetics at Albemarle Gallery. One of the artists from that exhibition, Kim Yeon, returns to the Albemarle in a group show which also includes work by David Reimondo and four talented graduates from 2009. From the exhibition catalogue: Kim Yeon’s sculptures encourage moments of meditation and … [Read More]
Makgeolli extends its reach
More on makgeolli: exports surge to record levels, and in some quarters the milky alcohol becomes a political metaphor for Lee Myung-bak’s presidential style – “down to earth, and up close and personal” #. Sources: Chosun Ilbo | Korea Times [Read More]
Jang Na-ra’s ten years as an undergraduate
Jang Na-ra is about to graduate from university after 10 years as an undergraduate. Is that a record? “Her career in Korea and China delayed her studies,” explains the Chosun Ilbo. She started at the Department of Theater in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chungang University in March 2000 – so just think of … [Read More]
Kimsooja: Talking Art at Tate Modern
News of an artist talk coming up next weekend. Saturday 20 February 2010, 14.00–15.30 Korean born artist Kimsooja is internationally known for her installations, films, photographs and performances. Her interest in fabrics references nomadic life in her trademark Bottari -bundles made of traditional Korean bedspreads, usually used to pack clothes. This sense of wrapping and … [Read More]
Pansori in York
News of a rare Pansori performance on UK shores: Pansori: Heungboga Friday 12 February 2010 at 7.30PM Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall Kim Eun Yeong pansori Barrie Webb director Pansori tells traditional folktales in song to a drum accompaniment and is a key part of Korean heritage dating from the 17th century. Heungboga, the story … [Read More]
A pizza shovel for the Dear Leader: was he amused by “Kim Jong-il’s Comedy Club”?
Kim Jong-il’s Comedy Club is a Danish documentary which follows the two-week visit to North Korea by a Danish comedy double-act who had received permission to perform in Pyongyang’s National Theatre. The documentary is fascinating on many levels. First, the two comedians are ethnic Korean adoptees, born in South Korea but brought up in Denmark, … [Read More]
Breathless (똥파리, 2009) review: fractured families, inherited violence
Breathless is a visceral discussion of the legacy which violence can create and the ease with which it can span generations, infecting everything and everyone in its path. Utilizing a gritty, low-budget aesthetic, Breathless is an outstanding film which truly packs a punch and will take your breath away. [Read More]
Saharial reviews Stranger than Paradise
Story: No Yoon Jae (Lee Sung-Jae) was adopted as a child and taken to Canada and now, at age 33 has been looking for his parents for some time. A successful lawyer with a love for coffee and his girlfriend he travels to Korea to meet once more with disappointment. Kang Son Ho (Uhm Tae … [Read More]
60 years of overseas Korean adoption and the Korean adoption issue
News of an interesting half-day seminar in Cambridge: This is an invitation to the seminar “60 years of overseas Korean adoption and the Korean adoption issue” which will take place in Cambridge on Saturday the 20th of February 2010. Ever since the Korean War Armistice in 1953, almost 200,000 Korean children have been adopted to … [Read More]
Barbara Demick talks about her book Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
In her new book Nothing to Envy – Real Lives in North Korea, Barbara Demick uncovers the secrets of the world’s most secretive country, through the stories of six North Koreans. Covering illicit love affairs, party loyalty and crippling poverty, the stories are the result of tenacious investigations and interviews in a country not connected … [Read More]
Korea Attraction ap for iPhone
Free Korea Attraction Grid Puzzle for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store http://bit.ly/c9ZsFN # [Read More]