To go with the exhibition Place Not Found: Korean Art Now at Forman’s Smokehouse Gallery, former LKL visual arts corresponendent Dr Beccy Kennedy will be doing a gallery talk with three of the participating artists: In Between: Picturing Migration Date: 17 MAY 2012 7-8.30 pm. Admission: Free Venue: Forman’s Smokehouse Gallery Stour Road | Fish … [Read More]
Month: May 2012 (page 3)
Castaway on the Moon (김씨 표류기, 2009) review: isolation, hope and black bean noodles
Castaway on the Moon combines social commentary with one of the warmest and gently funny narratives of recent memory to create what can only be described as a classic piece of Korean cinema. Only inspired filmmaking could make you believe that there is hope to be found at the bottom of a packet of black bean noodles [Read More]
Asia Literary Review Spring Edition is 100% Korean
This month is the Festival of Asian Literature at Asia House. It’s been a strong year for Korean literature, with Shin Kyung-sook winning the Man Asia Literary Prize as well as being longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Award 2012. There’s an upcoming translation of a novel by Kim Young-ha, and Krys Lee has been … [Read More]
Wonder Girls rapper in top 25 beauty list
Nice to see the Wonder Girls in the news. I wonder how JYP managed to get Yu-bin onto the list of 25 Sexiest Musicians Under 25, compiled by US website Complex Music. Yu-bin, who replaced the band’s previous main rapper Hyuna, comes in at number 20. Judge for yourself, but I think she should be … [Read More]
Chinese upset in kimchi cabbage row
“The Koreans stole Dano from us, and now they’re stealing our cabbages,” say Chinese netizens, according to the Korea Times, following a report that the UN’s Codex Alimentarius Commission will decide to adopt the name “kimchi cabbage” as an international standard for the cabbage formerly known as “Chinese”. [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 5: the Trip to Tongyeong
Seoul, Sunday 25 March 2012. Seoul’s Express Bus terminal is rather confusing. Even my Korean companion is struggling to figure out where to buy the tickets, what the difference is between a standard and a deluxe bus, and where they go from. We eventually work it out, and I’m glad she decided to tag along … [Read More]
Korean film: Years of radical change – free day-long seminar at SOAS
Hot on the heels of their day-and-a-half seminar on Korean music and dance, SOAS presents a free one-day seminar on Korean film. Well-known speakers, interesting subject matter. And time allocation is reasonably generous – each speaker gets an hour, so hopefully things won’t feel rushed as often happens at these events. Make sure you book … [Read More]
Jo Jung-rae’s Taebaek Mountains to be translated
Fans of Im Kwon-taek’s Taebaek Mountains will be pleased to hear that soon you’ll be able to read an English translation of Jo Jung-rae’s epic novel on which it was based, 태백산맥. More details on the Knowledge Pen website. (Via KTLit). But it could take a while – it’s 10 volumes long. [Read More]
Places still available on AKS guided walk of Inns of Court
A reminder of the interesting guided walk of the Inns of Court with the Anglo-Korean Society on 8 May. Guided by an experienced Blue Badge guide, this should be a fascinating and fun evening. Details on the AKS website [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 4: Walking the palace trail with the RASKB
Seoul, Sunday 25 March 2012. It’s a cold, sunny morning, like the day before. I’ve booked myself on a walking trip of Seoul’s palace area, courtesy of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea branch. We’re due to meet outside the Deoksu Palace at 9am, hence in part my reluctance to over-indulge the previous evening. It’s a … [Read More]
Chilling Romance (aka Spellbound) (오싹한 연애, 2011) review: love, laughs and long-haired ghouls
A film that uses classic romantic comedy narrative ideas and combines them beautifully with humorous homages to, and parodies of, well know Asian horror movies, Chilling Romance, starring Son Ye-jin, may only be light-hearted entertainment at its core but entertaining it is, all the same. [Read More]
Theatre visit: A Korean Midsummer Night’s Dream in the perfect venue
One of the features of Korean theatrical performance is the interaction with the audience. A venue such as the Globe is therefore doubly well suited to a Korean Shakespeare adaptation. Performers could easily mingle with the audience, surprise them from behind with a crash of the small 꽹과리 gong. And the audience standing in front … [Read More]
May Events 2012
Here are the events for May, so far. Let me know what I’ve missed out. Event of the month Hwang Jihae, last year’s Chelsea gold medal winner in the artisan garden category, returns to the Chelsea Flower Show with her Show Garden – “Quiet Time: DMZ Forbidden Garden“, 22 – 26 May Theatre The Yohangza … [Read More]