Congratulations to the South Korean U-17 women footballers for their World Cup victory against Japan. http://bit.ly/di0wPo Was it their filial piety in the semi-finals against Spain which brought victory in the final? [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 148)
Korean-infused dishes at Roka
Went to swanky Japanese restaurant, Roka, for lunch today. Opted for dishes with a Korean connection. Softshell crab kimbap with kimchi didn't have any kimchi. And the lamb cutlets with Korean spices didn't have any Korean spices. But it was all very nice. # [Read More]
CD review: Nah Youn Sun – Same Girl
Nah Youn Sun: Same Girl ACT, September 2010 Nah Youn Sun returns with her second Western album. Her first, Voyage, was LKL’s editor’s choice for album of the year 2008 and so this follow-up release comes hotly anticipated. It does not disappoint. The opening track of the album, My Favourite Things, is often one of … [Read More]
Hot Destination: Seoul featured in Conde Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler features Hot Destination: Seoul, featuring some of the stylish new hotels and some of the high profile construction projects – the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Floating Islands. [Read More]
Chuseok floods in Gwanghwamun
Best wishes for Chuseok everyone #. Above, flash floods in Gwanghwamun on 21 September, when 10cm of rain was falling in an hour in downtown Seoul. [Read More]
James Church interviewed on Korean Kontext
An interview with the elusive James Church, author of Corpse in the Koryo and the other fun novels in the Inspector O series. Podcast on Korean Kontext. http://bit.ly/cc3GbE # [Read More]
Adoptee film explores life after the reunion
Adoptee filmmaker Tammy Chu explores life after the reunion of adoptee son with his birth mother. Looks like a must-watch film. Resilience is released in Korea on 30 September. Hope it gets a DVD release. http://bit.ly/9uh3Du #. www.resiliencefilm.com [Read More]
Kim Jong-un has plot to disrupt G20, says Radio Free Asia
Well, I guess it would be a surprise if they DIDN'T have a plot to disrupt the G20 meeting. http://bit.ly/c0WHKe # “The defense commission regards the G20 meeting as a plot by world financial powers to isolate North Korea internationally,” RFA said. “To prevent it from happening, a concrete set of measures were discussed.” It’s … [Read More]
Concert notes: Baramgot at the South Bank
When Baramgot visited London two years ago they played to a sparsely populated mediaeval church in the middle of the Barbican complex. This year, the performance was in the more comfortable environment of the Purcell Room, and the audience was much bigger. What we gained in comfort was somewhat lost in atmosphere – the echoing … [Read More]
Winterplay launches UK album with civilised gigs
Last weekend saw Winterplay’s UK debut and launch of their first western album on Universal. Three gigs in two remarkably different settings. Their first performance was in the Cultural Centre on Friday 10 September. Demonstrating the remarkable flexibility of the space, the area next to the reception desk had been converted into a stage, with … [Read More]
British galleries sell well at Korea International Art Fair
British galleries sell well at Korea International Art Fair, according to the Korea Times (“Art market recovers but still has far to go”). But it’s the cheaper Damien Hirst prints that are selling, not the originals. http://bit.ly/an9c9L # [Read More]
Lee Jae-min and the Robot Dance in the 1980s
“Until just now I was unaware that Korea too had synth pop in the 80s. And people that did the robot dance: 이재민. http://youtu.be/LBV8wGW1aYY” Thanks to Indieful RoK for the link to this 1987 video. [Read More]
Middlesborough footballers in North Korea
Middlesborough women footballers refresh the town’s 1966 World Cup links with North Korea in a goodwill trip to the country http://bbc.in/aH1lTn #. Rebecca Stephenson was the first female footballer from the west to score a goal in North Korea [Read More]
FTA will be signed in October – scotch whisky to benefit
EU-ROK FTA to be signed on 6 October at a Brussels summit, says BBC. Scotch Whisky could be a big winner, with its current 20% import duty phased out over three years. http://bbc.in/9TRQOC # [Read More]
LKL reports from the Thames Festival 2010
2010 is Korea’s fourth year of participation in the Thames Festival, and each year the participation seems to get more ambitious. This year, the location moved from Tower Bridge, where there are possibly fewer punters strolling by, to the high-profile Jubilee Gardens, under the shadow of the London Eye, where the crowds are much more … [Read More]
Book Review: Your Republic is Calling You
Kim Young-ha: Your Republic is Calling You Translated by Kim Chi-young Harcourt, 2010. First published in Korean: 2006 Ki-yong, a North Korean agent, has lived undercover in Seoul for half his life. Inactive for the last 10 years, he is suddenly given an order to return home. Is the order a hoax? Is he being … [Read More]