Life was much deeper than he could ever imagine. It was impossible to tell just how far you could sink1 Two apparent suicides in different parts of the country kick-start two separate story-lines which turn out to be interlinked. Se-oh is the daughter of one of the deceased – a man who had fallen into […]
Author: Philip Gowman
Korean films at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival (this won’t take long)
The programme for the 64th BFI London Film Festival was announced earlier this week. As one might expect, the format is somewhat different this year. The schedule boasts “over 50 virtual premieres and a selection of highly anticipated new feature film previews … with work from more than 40 countries”. However, despite the diversity of […]
September events
Korean events are gradually emerging from the online world into the real world. But the Kingston Harvest Fest will be online this year. Look out for announcements about some video streamings on 26 September. Deadlines Apply to attend Sora Kim-Russell’s book talk by 1 September Fill in your K-pop Academy application by 9 September The […]
Why Crash Landing on You had us hooked
What a preposterous scenario for a drama. A chaebol heiress goes paragliding, gets swept away by a freak tornado and lands north of the DMZ, where she is discovered by a North Korean soldier and ends up getting emotionally entangled. I loved it. Of course, the scenario is a lot more complicated than that. How […]
Brief review: Kim Sagwa – b, Book, and Me
To answer the obvious question that you’re going to be asked when trying to order this item at your local bookstore, “b” and “Book” are the names of two characters in the novel. We’re not told about how b came by her name, but Book is so called because he spends all his time reading, primarily […]
Book review: Paek Nam Nyong – Friend
When faced with a translation of a book written by a North Korean, based on past experiences you might expect material that’s hostile to the regime. Texts that have been rendered into English tend to be either defector testimonies or an occasional collection of short stories or poems by a dissident writer that have apparently […]
Eat Out to Help Out your local Korean Restaurant
In these terrible times, when people are too nervous to venture out onto public transport, still less to their local restaurants, I’ve been fearing that some of my own favourite haunts may not survive the crisis. As you may know, to try to encourage people back to restaurants and to save a vital part of […]
August 2020 activities
Activities are still largely online, but a couple of things are happening in real life. Exhibitions The KCC launches a new architecture exhibition, Seoul Unfolded, on 6 August Three Korean artists from Albemarle’s stable appear in a group show at Moor House in the City Screenings In theatres: Parasite, including the black and white version, […]
How not to sanitize your cash
There’s a lovely item in today’s Korea JoongAng Daily about a report by the Bank of Korea (including the above image) on how people have been attempting to disinfect their banknotes to protect themselves from Covid-19. Putting them in the washing machine and then the tumble dryer, or microwaving them, is not recommended. “The central […]
Call for Papers: 2021 IKSU Annual International Conference
Let’s hope this conference can happen in real life: Call for Papers: 2021 IKSU Annual International Conference Exploring Landscape of K-Culture and Changes in Society: Past, Present and Future University of Central Lancashire, UK, 26-27 April 2021 From K-Pop, K-dramas, and K-films to political activism, K-culture is no longer limited to entertainment. Recently, the power […]
Brief review: Yun Ko-eun – The Disaster Tourist
Some of us fancy something different from our holidays. Not for us a wasted couple of weeks lying on a beach. We want to experience history, connect with other cultures. Maybe we want to visit a place where people live on the edge, or travel to a destination untouched by the modern world. But how […]
A fun addition to the smallest room in the house
Even as lockdown is gradually relaxed in the UK, we need to be reminded to be on our guard, that Covid-19 is still a threat. The nice folks at Koryo Studio – an affiliate of the travel company that brought us Dan Gordon’s series of feature-length documentaries on North Korea – have commissioned a work […]
Korean food under lockdown
As the UK Covid-19 lockdown was announced back in March, what was one of the many concerns for me? The fact that I wouldn’t be able to go to a Korean restaurant for a samgyeopsal feast for the foreseeable future, obviously. So I began to plan for second best. While, somehow, samgyeopsal always tastes best […]
July 2020 activities
The KCCUK is reopening from 6 July, though inevitably access will be carefully controlled to ensure everyone’s safety. Rendered Reality, the exhibition featuring works by Joonhong Min and Shinuk Suh, is still installed and will remain so until 24 July. Keep an eye on the Korea Society’s list of events. While many of their live […]
The 2020 Korean Literature Essay Contest
I don’t think we’ve had an essay contest since 2017. It’s good to see it return, organised by UCLan for LTI Korea. The contest is open to readers in the UK. 2020 UCLan IKSU Book Essay Contest The International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is hosting the “2020 […]
V+A Korean programme receives boost from MCST
Great news for the V&A’s programme of Korean activities and gallery: V&A announces landmark partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism 17 June 2020: The V&A has today announced a new five-year partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea. This major grant will enable the redevelopment of the museum’s […]
Book review: Jeong You-jeong – Seven Years of Darkness
Jeong You-jeong: Seven Years of Darkness Translated by Kim Chi-young Penguin / Little, Brown 2020 Originally published as 7년의 밤, EunHaeng NaMu Publishing Co, Seoul 2011 It felt like a long wait. We’d seen the movie adaptation a few years ago (Choo Chang-min’s Seven Years of Night, which screened at the London Korean Film Festival […]