Just watched Ninja Assassin. Entertaining, and Rain does an OK job. But the 2 minute Lego version is all you need: http://bit.ly/fzMGhq # [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 140)
Tributes to Park Wan-suh
Charles Montgomery of KTLit.com pays tribute to author Park Wan-so as she passes away at age 80: http://bit.ly/hkg4QX #. Gypsy Scholar also has a tribute. [Read More]
Book review: Eugenia Kim — The Calligrapher’s Daughter
Eugenia Kim: The Calligrapher’s Daughter Bloomsbury, 2010 Eugenia Sun-hee Kim’s first novel is based in part on the life of her mother, who was born in Japanese-occupied Korea and later emigrated to America after having lived to see liberation. The key characters in the novel are Najin – born on the day that Japan formally … [Read More]
SOAS lecture series – spring term 2011
Here’s the schedule for the coming couple of months. I’ll update this post with the detailed abstracts and speaker biographies as and when I receive them. All lectures are in room G50 of the SOAS main building unless otherwise stated. Friday, January 21st, 5pm Prof. HAZEL SMITH, Cranfield University “The political economy of poverty in … [Read More]
Airport management and face cream among highlights for Brulé’s Brand Korea
Last weekend international design guru and Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brulé had an interesting column in the FT, listing out 10 things he likes about Korea. There’s some items which you might expect, and also some surprises. Brulé has rightly waxed lyrical about Incheon Airport before – and coincidentally Incheon has just been awarded the Korea … [Read More]
New season of language classes at KCC
There’s a short application window for joining the free Korean classes at the KCC. Get your forms in by 6pm Monday: SEJONG INSTITUTE (세종학당) APPLICATION WINDOW 14/01/2011, 10am ~ 17/01/2011, 6pm How to apply To apply for the Sejong Institute please fill in the application form as found on the website (www.kccuk.org.uk) and return it … [Read More]
January Sale at James Freeman Gallery
Now this is a fun show. Hyemin Park has a number of strands to her work – at the Supervisions show at the KCC this time last year she had a project creating poetry out of restaurant names, for display in London Underground carriages. At the 4482 group show in the Bargehouse in February 2010 … [Read More]
2011 Joint New Year Editorial: Socialist cultural giant aims for sporting supremacy
Sport and TV comedy feature in this year’s DPRK Joint New Year Editorial. Hidden among the usual rhetoric about revolutionary upsurges is a sign that maybe the football team said to have been sent to the mines after their 7-0 defeat by Portugal are back in favour: A hot wind of sports should be raised … [Read More]
President Lee’s 2011 New Year policy address to the nation
The text of President Lee’s New Year address to the RoK, from Korea.net. Toward an Advanced, Leading Country During the Next Decade 1. Significance of 2010 and 2011 Good morning, fellow Koreans, The New Year of the Rabbit, 2011, has dawned. The rabbit is a symbol of wisdom and abundance, and I hope it will … [Read More]
Winter training
When it's cold out there, just be grateful you aren't a member of Korean Special Forces doing extreme winter drills: http://bit.ly/elH9hY # [Read More]
Kim Jong-un hacked
“Computer hackers breached North Korea’s official media accounts on 1 January, mocking the youthful heir apparent to the country’s leadership on his birthday. A video was posted on the country’s YouTube channel that depicted a caricature of Kim Jong Un driving a luxury sports car, running over women and children on the side of the … [Read More]
Brule’s Brilliant Korea
Tyler Brule waxes lyrical in today's FT (8 January): The secrets of my brilliant Korea (http://bit.ly/e9uOkn) … including Sulwhasoo skin cream #. He also has some K-pop recommendations. [Read More]
Kara’s Mister – infuriatingly catchy
Good news, bad news. First the bad: I can’t get Kara’s “Mister” out of my head. And the good: I can’t get the dance out of my head either. # [Read More]
LKL 2010 Quiz of the Year – the answers
Here are the answers to LKL’s 2010 Quiz of the Year. Picture Quiz 1. Jong Tae-se is the emotional coal miner. The Korean footballer, born in Japan, wept as he lined up for the DPRK national team in the 2010 World Cup. After their less than successful campaign, the DPRK footballers were said to have … [Read More]
January events 2011
Here are events to launch the Year of the Rabbit: Exhibitions The KCC’s exhibition of the work of young Korean artists in London, Future’s Future’s Future continues all month, as does Asia House’s exhibition of the Tiger in Asian Art and The Nam June Paik retrospective at Tate Liverpool. For related events, see under talks … [Read More]
Sejong in the Snow
Nice pic of the statue of King Sejong in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Plaza covered with snow – in the Chosun Ilbo: http://bit.ly/gDHVz1 # [Read More]