One of my most enjoyable reads so far this year has been Samuel Hawley’s Imjin War, originally published in 2005. At 664 pages long it might seem a bit intimidating, but in my view it could probably be twice as long and still be as gripping. But for those who like their history in nibble-sized … [Read More]
Year: 2019 (page 6)
Nature Republic comes to London
We’ve had temporary pop-up beauty stores before, and since earlier this year the independent SOKOLLAB has been in Soho selling K-beauty and K-pop products. But now the big Korean beauty brand Nature Republic is opening up in London as part of an international expansion plan across Asia, America and the Middle East. The store, at … [Read More]
Persona (페르소나, 2019) review: a versatile showcase of IU and four contemporary directors
An anthology consisting of four short films all starring K-pop star IU, Persona not only showcases her burgeoning acting prowess but also points to the sheer film-making talents of four critically acclaimed directors, in a wholly engaging and memorable manner throughout. [Read More]
Najeon & Ottchil, Korean Crafts for Millennia, at Asia House
As part of Asian Art in London: Najeon & Ottchil, Korean Crafts for Millennia 5 – 14 November 2019 Asia House | 63 New Cavendish Street | London W1G 7LP Open 10am – 6pm The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK presents the upcoming exhibition of Najeon & Ottchil, Korean Crafts for … [Read More]
Misbehaviour (여교사, 2017) review: a war of privilege and envy
Part character study of a broken individual; part twisted relationship drama; part visceral revenge thriller, Misbehaviour while not perfect ultimately succeeds in being at times provocatively gripping, at others thought provoking, all the while pointing to the lineage of depictions of overt female sexual pleasure, pain and resultant punishment in Korean cinema as a whole. [Read More]
Bandi – North Korea Through The Eyes of North Koreans
Organiser Jihyun Park explains: We are making new event at SOAS for How about ” North Korea Though the Eyes of North Koreans” We introduce about Bandi book and poem, so how much do you know about Bandi? Please Join us on the 22nd October. Bandi is just like Solzhenitsyn, the writer of the Soviet … [Read More]
Hyo (Girls Generation) plays DJ set at Ministry of Sound
Thursday, 17 October 2019 from 22:00-04:00 Ministry of Sound | 103 Gaunt Street | London SE1 6DP | Buy tickets Check for updates on event’s Facebook page Hyoyeon from 소녀시대 (Girls’ Generation) a.k.a. Hyo is performing her first ever DJ set in London on 17th Oct at Ministry of Sound. You must have heard of … [Read More]
Event report: Kim Kulim and Jessica Hyunjin Kim at Cafe OTO
Veteran avant-garde artist Kim Kulim has been going through a resurgence of interest in his work, with re-enactments of his early work having taken place in Korea over the past couple of years. This month saw a recreation of one of his controversial performances from 1970, in which he realised Nam June Paik’s Sex on … [Read More]
Misun Won and Kyosun Jung at Goldsmiths Fair
Earlier this month LKL paid a brief visit to the second week of Goldsmiths Fair, primarily to congratulate Misun Won on her special mention in the Best New Design Award 2019. The award itself went to Patrick Davison, but Misun’s generously proportioned brooch caught the judges’ eye. While there, we also visited award-winning designer Kyosun … [Read More]
Jambinai launches K-music 2019 with explosive force
Call me a grouch, but when you need both ear plugs and a blindfold to survive a gig in any degree of comfort you have to start questioning the wisdom of some of the sound and lighting judgments. Ear plugs, handed out for free at the entrance to Jambinai’s Purcell Room gig that opened K-music … [Read More]
Do Sungwook: Supernatural, at Pontone Gallery
A joint exhibition with Choi Soowhan. Do Sungwook: Supernatural 10 October – 3 November 2019 Pontone Gallery | 43 Cadogan Gardens | London SW3 2TB | pontonegallery.art Monday – Saturday 10-6pm | Sunday by appointment Korean artist Do Sungwook leads us into his mysterious woodland. Sunlight bursts through the canopy, glowing and incandescent. It articulates … [Read More]
SOAS seminar: China and the two Koreas – What next?
Monday 14 October 2019, 5:00 – 6:30 pm SOAS | College Buildings | Russell Square. Room: Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT) This event is open to the public and free to attend, however registration is required Abstract ‘Engagement’ of a kind may have replaced ‘fire and fury’ on the Korean Peninsula after Kim Jong-un met with … [Read More]
RIP David Kilburn
Many LKL readers will have been friends with, or had the great pleasure of meeting David Kilburn, who sadly passed away in Seoul on Monday, 7 October. David was a steadfast supporter of justice campaigns such as the Sewol ferry disaster and the ‘comfort women’ issue. He had his own personal experience of injustice in … [Read More]
After My Death (죄많은 소녀, 2017) review: Kim Ui-seok’s masterful, bleak indie debut
While After My Death is both bleak and melancholic from its very outset to its final frame it is grippingly so, its palpable emotional depth ensuring it at no point appears as the debut feature it actually is. A testament to the continuing superlative quality of independent Korean cinema. [Read More]
SOAS seminar: South Korean Resettlement Policy for North Korean exiles
Late notice of a seminar at SOAS today: The Complex Effects of South Korean Resettlement Policy on the Social Class of North Koreans in South Korea Dr Jennifer Hough (SOAS Centre of Korean Studies Research Fellow) Wednesday 9 October 2019, 3:10pm Room S113, Paul Webley Wing (Senate House), SOAS University of London Open to students, … [Read More]
Door Lock (도어락, 2018) review: female vulnerability and resilience in urban Seoul
With Door Lock, director Lee Kwon presents a tense and creepy fictional horror focusing on the vulnerability of women in Korea at the hands of the opposite sex and though the story’s conclusion will be fairly familiar to fans of horror it nonetheless celebrates female resilience and strength in Korean cinema as a whole. [Read More]