London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Excavator screens at the East End Film Festival

Yay! It’s that new word I learned at the Ansan Street Arts Festival last year, coming round again as the title of a movie, receiving its UK premiere as part of the East End Film Festival. Bizarrely, imdb and hancinema have the English title as Fork Lane. Poclain => 포크레인 => Fork Lane… Don’t you … [Read More]

Brief exhibition visit: Fragmentality

Fragmentality, at Arthill Gallery in North End Road, is a show featuring two RCA students. Minhee Kim’s works are delicate constructions made from layered paper or hair, using the ‘comfort women’ issue as her theme: Taeho Kim’s works include light and sound installations, as well as works on paper, employing intricate geometric patterns. [Read More]

Film review: Yu Hyun-mok’s Descendants of Cain

I had looked forward to the first movie in the KCC’s Korean Novels on Screen series – Kim Ki-young’s adaptation of Yi Kwang-su’s The Soil – and had been disappointed. Conversely, not being a particular fan of Yu Hyun-mok’s depressing movies, I was regarding the second in the series – his adaptation of Hwang Sun-won’s 1954 … [Read More]

Screening: Jang Sun-woo’s A Petal

It’ll be good to get another chance to see this classic movie. Thanks to the KCC for programming it. A Petal (꽃잎) Director: Jang Sun-woo (1996, 101 mins) Cast: Moon Sung-keun, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Young-ran, Yoo Soon-chul Original novel by Choe Yun 10 May 2018 7:00 pm, KCCUK. Book via EventBrite Stumbling along rivers and … [Read More]

Zandari Festa showcase at Liverpool Sound City

Zandari Festa are showcasing six Korean bands at Liverpool Sound City this year. Keep checking the official Sound City website for the detailed schedule, but at time of writing it looks like the showcase will be sometime on Saturday 5 May in Constellations Garden. Zandari Festa Showcase Constellations Garden | 35 – 39 Greenland Street … [Read More]

Lee Geonyong receives Thomas Cranmer Award

Congratulations to Dr Lee Geonyong, director of music at Seoul’s Anglican Cathedral, granted the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 6 April 2018. The Cranmer Award for Worship was first awarded by Archbishop Justin Welby in March 2016. It is named after Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to … [Read More]

BKS event: The Two Judges

An interesting event organised by the British Korean Society coming up later this month. Join the BKS for lower-priced admission. You know it makes sense. The Two Judges Comparing & Contrasting the Judiciary Systems in South Korea and the UK Monday 23 April 2018, 6.30pm to 9.00pm Venue: Addleshaw Goddard LLP, Milton Gate, 60 Chiswell … [Read More]

Film review: The Propaganda Game

The SOAS North Korea Society recently hosted a screening of Álvaro Longoria’s The Propaganda Game. The documentary is not going to tell you anything new about North Korea, its on-location original footage being the product of a fully-chaperoned three-day tour in Pyongyang and the DMZ. What it does do, however, is hinted at in its … [Read More]

Brief review: Kim Ki-young – The Soil

I’m not sure quite how to assess Kim Ki-young’s adaptation of Yi Kwang-su’s 500-page serial novel The Soil (흙, 1932-3). At 125 minutes, it doesn’t sound particularly long. But as we got up from our seats at the KCC last Thursday at around 9:15pm, it felt much later – maybe around 10:30pm. And that wasn’t … [Read More]

April events 2018

Exhibitions In Exeter, Young In Hong’s The Moon’s Trick continues until 22 April; In Nottingham, The Real DMZ closes on 15 April; Han Collection’s exhibition of crafts from the boudoir, Gyubang, continues all month; In Durham, the photography exhibition entitled The Hills are High continues all month; Made in North Korea: Everyday Graphics from the … [Read More]