This month is absolutely crammed with events, as all organisers arrange things to coincide with the run-up to the Olympics. I challenge you to get to even half of them. Possibly the highlight is the series of concerts on the South Bank as part of the All Eyes on Korea festival. Keep your eyes peeled … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 108)
A visit to Min Young-ki
When I visited Sancheong for the first time in 2010 one of the items on my agenda was a visit to Sancheong’s finest potter – and indeed one of Korea’s most renowned tea-bowl makers – Min Young-ki (민영기). Unfortunately owning to a diary mixup Min Senior was not there, and instead I had a very … [Read More]
Some regional foods in Sancheong
Sancheong: the name of the county literally means Mountain Purity. So the foods of the region use ingredients from the mountains – especially fresh herbs – and the clean rivers. Here are some of the foods I have sampled during the course of a few visits to the county: Fruits While fruits are not unique … [Read More]
New London Korean restaurant is recruiting
If you google “Bibigo London” you’ll find lots of job adverts for the new London branch of the international Bibigo restaurant chain run by CJ Foodville. It opens this summer in Great Marlborough Street with staff training planned for July. The top job is already taken: the London operation will be headed by Korean celebrity … [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary #14: Mugwort pancakes and bronze age dolmen
Tongyeong and Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Wednesday 28 March 2012. It’s time to leave Tongyeong, and head off to Sancheong, where I have happily spent much of my time in Korea in recent years. We set off along the main Tongyeong to Seoul expressway, which passes alongside the Gyeonghogang river and thus cuts through the heart of Sancheong … [Read More]
Now on My Way to Meet you – the TV show that bridges North and South
Today’s Daily Mail features a Korean TV women’s talk / talent show featuring North Korean defectors: Now on My Way to Meet You. [Read More]
The MBC K-pop event: HyunA and Queen will shine; EXO K have nothing to lose
The MBC K-pop and culture showcase at the indigO2 sold out in around 3 hours. For those who didn’t get tickets, what are we missing out on? Here’s LKL’s predictions: The headline acts 4Minute Cube Entertainment’s girl band 4Minute came to London last year for the United Cube concert in Brixton. In hindsight, I think … [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 13: Jeon Hyuck-lim, Magician of Colours
Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Wednesday 28 March 2012. It’s my last morning in Tongyeong, and like the previous two days, the air is crisp, the sky clear and the sea calm. I wish I could stay longer. There is an inviting jogging track, starting at the Chungmu Marina Resort, which takes you some of the way along the … [Read More]
Korean Air needs a language consultant…
Unfortunate Korean Air commercial promoting flights to Nairobi, Kenya, and encouraging travels to enjoy the “indigenous people full of primitive energy”. Originally tweeted by journalist Wouter van Kleef, and expanded upon by Al Jazeera, with some of the Kenyan response including this image from C_mwangi. [Read More]
How not to make yourself popular with Korean smartphone users
According to the Marmot’s Hole, the map app of the recently revealed beta version IOS6 apparently has Dokdo registered as Takeshima. Oops! [Read More]
UK and South Korea link up as offshore renewables pioneers
UK and South Korea announce a new pact to promote collaboration between their emerging marine and offshore wind sectors. UK renewable energy consultancy IT Power and the Korea Maritime University have been awarded a contract from the British Embassy in Seoul to establish the new initiative. Full story at Business Green. [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 12: Yun Isang’s music at TIMF 2012
Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Tuesday 27 March 2012. Just how popular is Yun Isang’s music? At best, it’s an acquired taste, and one which I have yet to acquire, though I do know people who say they like it. In conversation with Alexander Liebreich, artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival since 2011 and chief conductor of … [Read More]
Third Window Films ceases theatrical distribution
Sad news. Third Window Films, who among other things distributed the uncut version of Im Sang-soo’s President’s Last Bang in the UK, has ceased theatrical releases. Twitch has the full story, including the reasons why. [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 11: The Tongyeong International Music Festival
Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Tuesday 27 March 2012. The Yun Isang Memorial Hall is a short walk from the ferry terminal which serves Tongyeong’s outlying islands. I had come there to attend a symposium attended by the two composers-in-residence and the Musical Director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival, which is now in its 10th year. It grew … [Read More]
Koreans help design the London Olympic podium
Two Koreans are in the 5-strong team who designed the London Olympics medal-winners’ podium: RCA students Hong-Yeul Eom and Heegun Koo http://bit.ly/K3ySVJ. Not sure about the official Olympic colour though [Read More]
June events 2012
Can’t believe May slipped by so quickly. Here’s what I know of for June: Film This month’s director at the KCC is Lee Joon-ik, with screenings, on successive Thursdays, of King and the Clown (2005), The Happy Life (2007), Sunny (2008) and Battlefield Heroes (2010), the latter being at the Apollo Piccadilly with Director Q&A. … [Read More]