Monday night at the KCC was part celebration, part education: the launch of an English translation of a major portion of one of Korea’s best-loved modern epics: Park Kyung-ni’s Land. The evening was fronted by the translation’s publisher, Global Oriental (now part of the 300 year old Brill publishing house), but the three speakers were … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 132)
A Korean restaurant in Dusseldorf
A fine Korean restaurant I just discovered in Dusseldorf. And I just converted another work colleague to Korean food. http://twitpic.com/52hgcp #. The Korean family running the restaurant had been in Germany for about 20 years. [Read More]
Korea wins Gold medal, best Artisan Garden at Chelsea
It is the first time that a Korean garden has been shown at the Chelsea Flower Show, and designer Jihae Hwang has been rewarded with a gold medal and the accolade of Best Artisan Garden. Rather like at Cannes, where there’s the main event and Un Certain Regard, at Chelsea there’s the Show Gardens and … [Read More]
The outside toilet in Park Wan-suh’s childhood memories – part 2
The second of two extracts from the early pages of Park Wan-suh’s Who ate up all the shinga? dealing with the memories of her childhood existence in the countryside near Kaesong in the 1930s and early 1940s, posted to coincide with the Korean garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this coming week, which features an … [Read More]
Michelin to issue Green Guide to Korea
About time too. Michelin finally releases a Green Guide to Korea. Now to collect those stars… http://bit.ly/mHfhl5 #. Currently only available in French, but in English from March 2012. [Read More]
The outside toilet in Park Wan-suh’s childhood memories – part 1
To coincide with the Korean garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this coming week, which features an outside toilet, here’s the first of two extracts from Park Wan-suh’s Who ate up all the shinga? The outhouse, it seems, was much more than a place for moving the bowels. Park Wan-suh was born in 1931 and … [Read More]
Park Seo-bo feature in WSJ
Park Seo-bo: “The Role of art is to make people worry.” A feature on the 80-year-old “father of South Korean contemporary art” in Scene Asia / WSJ: http://on.wsj.com/jOvsSn # [Read More]
Deulgukhwa remake album out soon
Current indie stars play tribute to 1980s rock legends: the Deulgukhwa (들국화) Remake Album will be out next week! Mot, Huckleberry Finn, Guckkasten, Lee Jang Hyuk & more http://awe.sm/5JwSp (Via @indiefulrok) [Read More]
Kim Ki-duk stages comeback at Cannes
No surprise but Kim Ki-duk’s ARIRANG Captures Critics in Cannes on WSJ blogs, via @koreanfilmfest. And via @bournecinema: Kim Ki-duk settles scores with former colleagues, and the Korean film industry in general, in his new film ARIRANG (Korea Herald) [Read More]
Abstracts: Korean Buddhists Arts of the Koryŏ and Chosŏn Kingdoms
Here are the abstracts for the series of talks on Korean Buddhist arts at SOAS on 19 May 2011: Gyeongwon Choe (Kansas University) Marginalised yet Devoted: Buddhist Paintings Commissioned by Nuns of the Early Joseon Palace Cloisters This lecture examines the three extant Buddhist paintings commissioned by Buddhist nuns in the palace cloisters of the … [Read More]
AKS visit to Standard Chartered art collection
Just returned from Anglo-Korean Society visit to Standard Chartered art collection. No Korean art. But learned about their hot-desking and recycling policies #. Evening rescued by interesting talk by AKS treasurer about the development of SC First Bank since Standard Chartered acquisition. # [Read More]
Hallyu Elvis and the draft-dodger
"Hallyu Elvis and the draft-dodger" – The Economist contrasts Hyun Bin with MC Mong (+ comment from Grand Narrative) http://econ.st/jtoGIX # [Read More]
Thank you
Tonight at the Korean Cultural Centre, I’m told that it was a record attendance for a Global Korea Lecture. So, thanks to the people who came along to my talk. I think I said most of the things I wanted to, but missed a couple of things. More importantly, thanks to the Ministry of Culture, … [Read More]
DPRK-related books reviewed in Economist
Three DPRK-related books get a brief review in the Economist. Guy Delisle’s Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, the latest James Church, and the thriller Maximum Target by Martin Gower: http://econ.st/mqErGC # Links: LKL reviews Guy Delisle: Pyongyang – A Journey in North Korea [Read More]
British tenor made ambassador for Jeju
Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts becomes Jeju’s goodwill ambassador (the day after I become Sancheong’s) http://bit.ly/kazB1y # [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Monologues at the KCC
The current exhibition at the KCC is the first to feature only paintings. All four artists, all of them female, are alumnae of the National Museum of Contemporary Arts’ artist-in-residence programme. The title of the exhibition – Monologues – is strange but apt. One hopes that an exhibition sets up a dialogue between the artist … [Read More]