We’ve all heard of the Edinburgh International Festival and its fringe; and of the Edinburgh Film Festival. Each year there’s sure to be Korean interest at these events. But this year another festival held at the same time, the Edinburgh Book Festival, together with the World Writers Conference, hosted Korea’s two most famous younger generation … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 105)
Korea develops taste for British mummy porn
EL James’s Fifty Shades trilogy is being translated into Korean, and Volume 1 immediately became the country’s bestselling novel and e-book, according to the Korea Times, who in common with most others is pretty sniffy about the novels’ quality. How the translator managed to turn a 528 page English book into 780 pages of Korean … [Read More]
Damn! I’ve run out of shelf space
I’ve run out of shelf space, so I have no room for the recently issued Volume 17 (enlarged edition) of Kim Jong-il’s selected works. Now I’ll never get the full set, or find out how to “More Firmly Strengthen Socialist Revolutionary Position by Doing Party Work Well”. [Read More]
Kim Jong-un buys British
The new North Korean leader is said to be negotiating to buy two British-made luxury yachts. Of course, he’s asking for a discount. Make sure you get payment up-front, chaps, and don’t take any banknotes. (source: Chosun Ilbo) [Read More]
Lee Yoon-ki’s Love Talk captures the drifting, rootless nature of an immigrant community
Lee Yoon-ki is a director who divides opinion. He is known for his delicate, nuanced character portraits which delight many an art-house enthusiast but which for those who like things to happen in their movies are a big turnoff. Love Talk will appeal to those who are in between. Love Talk (2006) is Lee’s second … [Read More]
Korea’s latest theme park celebrates the toilet
Suwon is home to Korea’s latest theme park: the “Restroom Cultural Park” (수원 화장실 문화공원), which opened on 4 July 2012. Suwon is the city that launched the “Making Beautiful Public Restrooms” project in 1997, and lists its top conveniences on the city website. (via Rocket News; photo: KBS) [Read More]
Fashion, food and music: Korea Shining Bright with Lie Sang Bong at the V&A
It’s not often that an honour guard in Joseon dynasty costume greets you as you enter a London public building. In fact the last time I can recall it happening was at the celebration of Korean food and fashion at the Banqueting House in 2009. And at the Victoria and Albert Museum on 30 July … [Read More]
Seoul’s host bars
Lucy Williamson on an interesting emerging phenomenon in Seoul: host bars, where women pay for men’s company. First on the Today Programme (15 August), then on Crossing Continents (16 August), now in the Magazine (18 September) [Read More]
A London 2012 Korean Olympic round-up
Here are some of the highlights and headlines from the past two weeks or so of Korean athletes at the London 2012 Olympics: 25 July North Korea’s Olympic women’s football team walked off the pitch for an hour at their opening London 2012 match tonight after organisers mistakenly introduced the players using South Korea’s flag. … [Read More]
Mask dance and K-pop covers at the Kingston Korean Festival
During the Olympics, the Korean Tourism Organisation has been sponsoring a K-pop vocal and dance workshop in Chelsea Town Hall. The results were on show today at the 15th annual Korean Festival organised by the Korean Residents Society. I think I managed to miss all the traditional performances this year – the otherwise informative programme … [Read More]
Im Kwon-taek visits London for the Olympics
As part of the VIP delegation visiting from Seoul to launch Korea’s bid for Olympic glory in London 2012, a surprise dignitary was legendary film director Im Kwon-taek. I first caught sight of him at the Korea Shining Bright event at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Monday night, 30 July. I wondered if I … [Read More]
Needles and a mouth organ at Team Korea House
Yes, there have been K-pop flashmobs, dancing robots, traditional music performances and comedy magic shows at Team Korea House. There has even been a live radio show broadcast from there, with presenters dressed in royal hanbok. Last Saturday (4 August) was the final performance by Dulsori before they head off to Germany. They opened with … [Read More]
An interview to forget
LKL has been interviewed three times in the past three weeks. Easiest was Yonhap, an unrecorded newspaper interview where it was easy to chat at the same time as being interviewed, and where you could clarify and explain to ensure that you were understood properly. No time restriction. I don’t know what the write-up was … [Read More]
100th anniversary of Lee In-sung’s birth commemorated at Deoksu Palace
The Deoksu Palace branch of the National Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a retrospective to commemorate the 100th anniversary of “local colour” artist Lee In-sung’s birth, 26 May – 26 August 2012. Well worth a visit. Links: Exhibition details on the NMCA website. Coverage in Joongang Ilbo | Korea Times [Read More]
Battle of the Divas: Shining K-Classics at the Festival Hall
Maestro Seigerstam eased himself onto the platform looking like a cross between Brahms and a benign troll, long white beard resting on a generous stomach, long white hair reaching down the back of his tailcoat. With a waggle of his baton, the woodwind started playing Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Overture and the Shining K-Classics concert … [Read More]
Concert notes: Be-Being’s Korean Masque Music Project at the QEH
Be-Being (비빙) was the first of the five musical events of the All Eyes on Korea festival on the South Bank and set the scene well for the remainder. It was an evening of fusion: contemporary music on traditional instruments, with some of the numbers accompanied by traditional mask dances from a variety of traditions. … [Read More]