A lecture and screening about a fascinating topic to ease you in to the Bank Holiday weekend. I missed the screening at SOAS last year so I’ll definitely be tuning in to this. North Korean Ghost Ships Thursday 7 May, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM Talk by Robert Winstanley-Chesters and film showing and Q&A … [Read More]
Month: April 2020
Mi-ae Seo: The Only Child
Seo Miae’s The Only Child is the latest thriller to come out of Korea, following on the heels of Jeong You-jeong’s Good Son and Kim Un-su’s The Plotters. Seo debuted in 1994 with the short story 30 Ways to Kill Your Husband and won the GrandPrize for Korean detective fiction with the Dolls Garden. She … [Read More]
8 Netflix K-Dramas for people who don’t like zombies
With the extra time spent at home, the lockdown is the perfect time for many of us to catch up on television dramas. Besides being a great way to pass the time without leaving the home, dramas can provide us all with a little escapism, giving a much-needed break from the often overwhelming news cycle. … [Read More]
RASKB Online Lecture: Practicing Korean Traditional Archery
In 1899, the visiting Prince Heinrich of Prussia expressed his astonishment to Emperor Gojong at a traditional archery demonstration. The Prince, hailing from a militarized Prussian culture, sought out demonstrations of Korean martial arts, and Archery was the most impressive among the arts demonstrated. He was familiar with Turkish and Hungarian Archery of Europe, which … [Read More]
KJOU: the new UK hallyu mag
Over on the KCC Facebook page they recently posted about a new hallyu magazine: KJOU. I visited the magazine’s website today and ordered myself a copy of their first issue. If you’re interested, there are a few copies left, but as the second issue is imminent don’t hesitate because they’ll be gone soon. Of course, … [Read More]
Korea Society Webcast: Korean Election Analysis
Stanford University Professor Gi-Wook Shin joins Korea Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a timely breakdown of the April 15 Korean legislative elections. Professor Shin, Director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Director of Korean Studies, and William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea, examines the voice of the electorate and impact of the National … [Read More]
Book review: Christopher Lovins on King Chŏngjo
Thus far this year I’ve been focusing on literature in translation. As I wait for the next major wave of publications to hit the shops, I’ve turned my attention to non-fiction. And the first title I reached for was Christopher Lovins’s King Chŏngjo: An Enlightened Despot in Early Modern Korea, which came out in paperback … [Read More]
LKL during lockdown
Everyone is having to get used to a new routine as we hunker down at home until the authorities tell us it’s safe to come out. The enforced time at home is a mixed blessing, with probably more pros than cons. On the plus side, I don’t have my daily commute. But on the minus … [Read More]
KEI webinar: The Implications of South Korea’s National Assembly Elections
This webinar, organised by the Korea Economic Institute of America, seems to be open to anyone interested, but you do need to register with KEI. The Implications of South Korea’s National Assembly Elections Thursday, April 16, 2020 9:00am-10:00am U.S. EDT | 2:00pm-3:00pm U.K. BST | 10:00pm-11:00pm KST Livestreamed via Zoom Register via KEI website Featuring: … [Read More]
Bang Bang Con: BTS Online Concert Weekend
BTS’s mega online event over the weekend of 18 and 19 April can be viewed on their BangtanTV YouTube Channel. [Read More]
Livestream: Hyelim Kim in Résonances, at the Vortex
Lockdown doesn’t mean shutdown, as taegum player Hyelim Kim notes. Join her and others this evening for a live interdisciplinary performance. Donate to the venue and artists via the link below or via the event’s Facebook page. Résonances – Live Stream Sunday 5 April 2020, 6:30pm – 7:15pm BST Livestream on the Vortex Facebook page … [Read More]
Online lecture: Samsung Rising
Let’s hope there are more of these to keep us interested while stuck at home. Instructions for joining this free Zoom conference can be found on the RASKB website. And while you’re there, join as a member if you haven’t already. Geoffrey Cain will be talking about his book Samsung Rising which was published last … [Read More]
What we’re missing: Korean acts at The Great Escape
Korean hip-hop artists Balming Tiger, BIBI and Samuel Seo were all lined up for Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival this May, and the KCC were going to bring them to London for the K-Music Showcase. Like everything else at the moment, plans have had to be put on hold, but in the meanwhile you can … [Read More]
The rise of Korean sci-fi
There’s a nice feature in yesterday’s Korea Times on the rise of Korean science fiction, with an interview with the leading lights behind the Science Fiction Writers Union of the Republic of Korea. I’ve enjoyed dipping into the collection of K-sci-fi in translation Readymade Bodhisattva that came out last year from Kaya. It whetted my … [Read More]
April 2020 home-bound activities
Hmmm, well I think probably not much will be happening this month out in the public spaces. So your home entertainment and researches can include any of the following: On screen Catch up on all those classic Korean films that you’ve been meaning to watch for ages. I’ve compiled an index of the free-to-view Korean … [Read More]