Not so long ago Korean boffins invented space kimchi. Now they’ve moved on to space bulgogi, adapted to suit the weightless environment of outer space. Next, space poktanju? Now that would be something. Source: Chosun Ilbo # [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 163)
Yulgok Yi I – a learned slouch with a stomach problem
LKL reports from the most recent Friday evening seminar at SOAS, in which Isabelle Sancho examined the letters of Confucian Scholar Yulgok Yi I What should one expect from the letters of one of the best-known Confucian scholars? In some respects, the sort of thing you might expect from any correspondence: pleasantries about health, about … [Read More]
The Korean connection in “Up”
You know that tubby kid in Pixar’s animation “Up”? He’s a Korean, modeled after Peter Sohn, a 32-year-old ethnic Korean production artist who has been working with Pixar since 2000. Source: Chosun Ilbo [Read More]
Lee Eun-ju, still remembered 5 years on
It’s five years to the day since she took her own life. To remember her, here’s a recording of her cover version of the Corrs’ song Only When I Sleep (1997). The version is from Lee Eun-ju’s final film, The Scarlet Letter. Via James Turnbull and SuzyinSeoul [Read More]
Sole Searching in Korean funeral parlours
Kick a man when he’s down: steal his shoes from the funeral parlour. Sole searching in the JoongAng Daily http://bit.ly/adnzyI # [Read More]
Nothing to Envy: it brought tears to the eyes of a jaded cynic
LKL reports from the book launch of Barbara Demick’s Nothing to Envy – Real Lives in North Korea It was a well-informed audience attending Barbara Demick’s book launch at the Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday, many of whom had been to North Korea. As the strains of a Mozart Symphony wafted upstairs from the concert … [Read More]
Lee Bul interviewed in Korea Times
Good interview with cyborg artist Lee Bul in the Korea Times. "Lee Bul Pioneers Korean Contemporary Art" http://bit.ly/cxvu6K #. “Becoming an artist is not possible from trying. If somebody tries ‘not’ to be an artist, the person will have a greater possibility of becoming an artist,” she says. [Read More]
London’s Korean eating scene in the Korea Herald
"Hansik begins to surface in central London" says Korea Herald – a mini feature on Korean eateries in London. HT: Jo http://bit.ly/bzJUCu # [Read More]
Book review: Hwang Sun-won – The Descendants of Cain
Hwang Sun-won: The Descendants of Cain Translated by Suh Ji-moon and Julie Pickering East Gate / UNESCO / Routledge 1997. Originally published 1954 Novels set in post-liberation Korea, or during the Korean war, often make uncomfortable reading, particularly those set in the Soviet sphere of influence, and where the story is set in the countryside. … [Read More]
Kim Jong-il’s Comedy Club – the tweets
It’s not often that Twitter is alive with Tweets about a documentary on BBC4, but Kim Jong-il’s Comedy Club was special. Here are some of them. LKL: Game for a laugh? Don’t forget Kim Jong-il’s Comedy Club tonight, BBC4, 10pm http://bit.ly/bT9eZE # LKL: Wow this documentary is bizarre!! # Alex_Hoban: @lklinks you’re telling me…! Alex_Hoban: … [Read More]
A historical mystery that’s well worth a look
Eternal Empire (1995) – a nice-looking costume drama about murder and court intrigue in the Yi dynasty soon after the death of Prince Sado – and an adaptation of Yi In-hwa’s excellent novel (reviewed here). It’s one of Darcy’s top 10 K-films of the 90s. I’m not quite as enthusiastic, but it’s well worth a … [Read More]
And then they all fell over…
Short track speed skating has got to be one of the most exciting sports to watch. Korea doing well. A couple of Brits in there too. # [Read More]
Contributions sought for adoptee anthology
A message just received from Perlita Harris for the British Association of Adoption and Fostering. We are editing an anthology of writing and poetry by adopted adults who were adopted in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland including adoptees born in another country (e.g. Korea) and raised by their adoptive family in the UK. This collection … [Read More]
iPhone boosts sausage sales
Snack sausage in alternative use as meat stylus – a substitute for your bare finger: Sausage sales have soared by 40% following a bout of cold weather and some smart chap discovering that CJ Corporation’s snack sausages have electrostatic properties that are rather similar to that of the human finger. Source: http://bit.ly/cQh6jY # [Read More]
Makgeolli extends its reach
More on makgeolli: exports surge to record levels, and in some quarters the milky alcohol becomes a political metaphor for Lee Myung-bak’s presidential style – “down to earth, and up close and personal” #. Sources: Chosun Ilbo | Korea Times [Read More]
Jang Na-ra’s ten years as an undergraduate
Jang Na-ra is about to graduate from university after 10 years as an undergraduate. Is that a record? “Her career in Korea and China delayed her studies,” explains the Chosun Ilbo. She started at the Department of Theater in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chungang University in March 2000 – so just think of … [Read More]