Koreans: you drink sitting down, with anju. We drink standing up, with no anju. When it’s warm, we stand outside. That’s just the way it is. And that’s why you see people drinking outside pubs in London on a nice evening. [Read More]
Month: September 2011
The Ryugyong Hotel: a North Korean poem
A North Korean poem: Ryugyong Hotel Now covered in glass So Kim Jong-il Can cover his as tonishing policy myopia (sorry, the last bit doesn’t quite scan) via Aidan Foster-Carter [Read More]
Arrow, the Ultimate Weapon – the historical background
Kim Han-min’s Arrow the Ultimate Weapon is a high-energy historical action flick which will get the London Korean Film Festival 2011 off to a rip-roaring start. Without revealing too much about the plot, suffice it to say that enough baddies get what they deserve to make you feel reasonably good on emerging from the cinema. … [Read More]
The founder of Taekwondo defected to the North
Fancy! The Torygraph’s 2002 obituary of Choi Hong Hi manages to omit that the founder of Taekwondo died in, er, Pyongyang. http://tgr.ph/oTJPXq. Via Aidan Foster-Carter. [Read More]
Do we need another Liaisons Dangereuses remake?
Do we need another Liaisons Dangereuses remake? EJ Yong’s was a bit dull. How will Hur Jin-ho fare with Jang Dong-gun? http://t.co/D5t6GM07 [Read More]
A Device: Back to the Moment at MokSpace
News of the upcoming exhibition at MokSpace, near the British Museum: A device: Back to the moment Time: 30 September at 18:00 – 06 October at 18:00 Location: Mokspace 33, Museum Street, London WC1A 1LH London, United Kingdom Mokspace is pleased to present the group exhibition “A device: Back to the moment”. This exhibition features … [Read More]
Kiejo’s Korean cookery classes in October 2011
Kiejo Sarsfield’s Korean cookery classes for October (11am Saturdays in the Chalfonts) are 8, 15, 22, & 29th. Contact kiejosarsfield at hotmail dot co dot uk for details. [Read More]
Korea aims to impose studying curfew at 10pm
The mission of Seoul’s hagwon inspectors: to find children who are studying after 10 pm. And stop them. Interesting article on Korean education in Time magazine. http://t.co/s77wkiRh [Read More]
Korean artists at Asia Triennial Manchester 2011
The second Asia Triennial Manchester commences in October, with plenty of Korean interest: Junebum Park 19 November – 5 December CUBE Gallery Junebum Park is an artist based in Korea. Through a clever shift of perspective, Junebum transforms the most ordinary of environments into extraordinary scenes in which the artist’s hands interfere with the forces … [Read More]
Travel ideas in Gyeongju: the Teddy Bear museum
In Gyeongju? Had too much Silla dynasty culture? Try the Teddy Bear museum – including bears visiting models of tourist attractions such as the Seokguram Grotto. Cute. http://t.co/aPfXkhCF [Read More]
Korea’s metrosexuals lead the world
Korea is the metrosexual capital of the world, accounting for 18% of global sales of male beauty products and potions, according to the Chosun Ilbo. [Read More]
Korean adoptee elected to French senate
A Korean adoptee has been elected to the French senate for the Green Party. There are around 12,000 Korean adoptees in France. http://t.co/hZ9TIijx [Read More]
Historical Korean portraiture on show at two Seoul museums
Interesting feature on two exhibitions of Korean portraiture, including a 1617 portrait of “the first Korean in Europe” http://t.co/lVN629Bx, also http://bit.ly/r9fy9g [Read More]
Korea’s trendy but baffling contemporary art scene in London
Coinciding with rather too many events for London Design Week, three galleries competed with each other last Friday, 23 September, with opening events to show various eccentricities of the contemporary Korean art scene in London. After a quick look in at the dozen or so Korean MA students from Kingston University who were holding their … [Read More]
A slice of Seoul on exhibit in London
A slice of Seoul on exhibit in London: Korea Times features Bae Jung-hyun’s / JW Stella’s eclectic show in a City gallery http://t.co/oCXQNff2. One of four I went to on Friday night. [Read More]
Bae Doo-na prepares for her role in Cloud Atlas
Bae Doo-Na will have to speak British English for her upcoming role in the Wachowskis’ movie “Cloud Atlas”, says a Chosun Ilbo interview. http://t.co/hy4Dtdps [Read More]