London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Film Review: The Man From Nowhere

Colette Balmain reviews the opening film of LKFF 2010 The Man From Nowhere (아저씨- Ajeossi) (Lee Jeong-beom, 2010) Cha Tae-sik (Won Bin), is a man shrouded in mystery, a loner who runs a small pawnshop and who is positioned on the margins of society. His only meaningful relationship is with the young girl, So-mi (Kim … [Read More]

Pororo and the Axis of Evil

Pororo and the Axis of Evil: the South Korean animation industry outsources work north of the border. And it might get Pororo banned in the US. WSJ and Chosun. #. The creators of Green Days told me no such outsourcing takes place now because of strained North-South relations. [Read More]

Lee Ufan’s first solo exhibition in the USA

Lee Ufan’s solo show at the Guggenheim (“Marking Infinity“) opens on 24 June and lasts till 28 September 2011. I’m hoping to get to the press preview. The video on the Guggenheim’s website, by curator Alexandra Munroe, is well worth a listen. Munroe introduces the exhibition as follows: Marking Infinity presents the work of artist-philosopher … [Read More]

SHINee Happy People: fans turn out in force to greet their favourite K-pop band

Saharial joins the Shawols in Abbey Road and catches a glimpse of SMTown’s boy band. Abbey Road at 7.45am lies unsuspecting in the morning sunshine of the hundreds of kpop fans that will swarm the area in support of SHINee who are performing “Japan Debut Premium Reception in London“ (http://youtu.be/codeksErVqU) – a live streamed concert … [Read More]

Poetry in Clay at the Metropolitan Museum

Poetry in Clay, the exhibition of Buncheong Ceramics from the Leeum Museum currently at the Metropolitan Museum is seriously worth a visit, with some beautiful pots. Interesting that they also juxtapose a couple of 20th century paintings. Kim Whanki’s dot paintings really do look like the dot decoration on one of the pots # Curator … [Read More]

A better than average trip to the DPRK

I’m always doubtful about going on a trip to the DPRK. Yes, I’d love to see the Mass Games and maybe some other tourist attractions such as Mount Baekdu. But I always think these trips are very expensive and I never know how much of the cash ends up subsidising Kim Jong-il’s collection of expensive … [Read More]

Exhibition visit: Embracing the Void

South Korea has received a crash course in modernity in recent years. Through Japanese occupation, the Korean war, democratisation, industrialisation and globalisation, Korea has had to adapt, and fast. High rises now abound throughout the otherwise romantic landscape of majestic, pine covered mountains populated with sprinklings of traditional slope roofed, wooden homes. One imagines Korea … [Read More]