White porcelain held immense value during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It symbolised not only the Royal family and intellectuals’ pursuit of moderation, dignity, and freedom but also embodied the aspirations and pride of the Joseon people. Furthermore, it served as a potent symbol of Joseon’s power, encapsulating the life, dreams, and pride of its citizens. … [Read More]
Month: August 2023
A North Korean Chuseok 2023
Join Connect: North Korea this September 29th for a North Korean Chuseok! Come and celebrate North Korean food and culture in the heart of New Malden. You’ll have the chance to try traditional North Korean food, prepared by our talented chefs. And we’ll be celebrating the Chuseok holiday with performances from North Korean classical guitarist … [Read More]
쿠쿠 | Cuckoo by Jaha Koo
Three talkative rice cookers take you on a journey through the last 20 years of Korean history. Cuckoo is a bittersweet and humorous dialogue, a documentary of sorts. Economist-turned-artist Jaha Koo sits with his electronic friends, three rice cookers. Together they discuss the catastrophic market crash of 1997 and subsequent national phenomena, including unemployment, depression … [Read More]
Book talk: A New History of South and North
KCCUK is pleased to announce an in-person talk about Korea: A New History of South and North with Ramon Pacheco Pardo and Victor Cha. Published by Yale University Press, Korea: A New History of South and North was released June 2023. About the book Korea has a long, riveting history—it is also a divided nation. … [Read More]
Hallyu Con 2023: Hallyu Experience Sessions at KCCUK
Hallyu Con 2023 – where Korea Meets You: A Month-Long Celebration of Korean Culture in its Vibrant Forms Get ready to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of the Korean wave (hallyu) as Hallyu Con 2023 comes back to town! KCCUK is thrilled to announce an extraordinary event in convention-style format, inviting the audience to … [Read More]
Kingston ESEA Culture Festival 2023
Celebrating the Richness of East & Southeast Asian Culture. Join us for the first ever ESEA (East & Southeast Asian) Culture Festival in Kingston! Supported by the Royal Borough of Kingston, KBCE proudly showcases the rich diversity of ESEA heritage in Kingston. The festival kicks off with the ESEA World Music Festival featuring two live … [Read More]
Jung Jae-il in Conversation
Award-winning composer Jung Jae-il is has created some of South Korea’s most popular scores. He has worked on titles such as Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Broker, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game series and collaborated with Bong Joon Ho on Okja and Parasite. At this event, he will talk about the growing appeal of Korea’s cultural output overseas and … [Read More]
Book review: JM Lee – Painter of the Wind
In The Investigation (2012, English version 2014), JM Lee gave readers an historical novel combined with a course in poetry appreciation. Somehow, it didn’t work for us. In Painter of the Wind, Lee gives his readers an historical novel combined with a course in art appreciation and it works a lot better. The novel was … [Read More]
Ambiguous Dance Company: Rhythm of Human
Korean dance sensations Ambiguous Dance Company return to The Coronet Theatre following last year’s sold-out Body Concert with the UK premiere of their award-winning piece Rhythm of Human. Rhythm of Human follows a modern Korean man who fights to break free from societal expectations and norms. The dancers blend genres and defy all preconceptions to present a fresh, exciting and electric … [Read More]
Ransomed – UK theatrical release
Ransomed is a movie set in Beirut 1986, during the Lebanese civil war. A Korean diplomat is taken hostage without a trace. Two years later, a young diplomat, Min-jun, receives a phone call proving that the hostage is still alive. The movie follows the story of a South Korean diplomat who receives a coded message … [Read More]
Royal British Legion commemorates the Forgotten War
Seventy years to the day after the signing of the armistice, the Royal British Legion marked the anniversary of the so-called Forgotten War with dignity and style in Horseguards Parade, the venue for many ceremonials such as the Trooping of the Colour. In the presence of HRH the Duke of Gloucester, numerous veterans and their … [Read More]
August events 2023
August is relatively quiet in London, though K-pop fans will be able to enjoy Odd Eye Circle and W24 in London – tickets still available at time of writing. This is the calm before the storm: September has at least eight live pop and indie events. Outside of London, if you’ve managed to secure yourself … [Read More]