As I’ve been logging the various publications during the construction of LKL’s K-lit hub, I’ve been keeping an eye on those stories which appear most often in English translation, whether in an anthology or a standalone publication. Charles Montgomery has always said that When the Buckwheat Blooms is the most published story, and I’ve yet … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 17)
Announcing LKL’s new K-Lit Hub
I haven’t been posting much on LKL recently. That’s not because nothing’s been going on. On the contrary, there’s been plenty of exhibitions to review, online film festivals to attend, and some real-world foodie events to enjoy. In fact, I have a longer than ever writing backlog, which I shall do my best to backfill. So … [Read More]
Korean artists exhibiting at START Art Fair 2020
Despite the pandemic, START Art Fair opens this month in the Saatchi Gallery. As in previous years, Skipwiths presents the work of a major Korean artist, with this year Ceviga making a debut with the gallery. Also making a return is Jade Flower Gallery, and new this year is a solo appearance from Eunhyue Shin. … [Read More]
K-music 2020: the official press release
Despite the pandemic, Serious and the KCCUK have arranged a great line-up for K-music this year. Bookended by live performances to open and close the festival, there’s a range of exciting online performances which involve new collaborations between favourite K-music artists from the past as well as some new names. We’ve already posted about the … [Read More]
October events 2020
How did it get to be October so quickly? Once Chuseok is over, prepare yourselves for K-music and the LKFF, both of which have a mix of live and online events. There’s plenty else on too. Arts and exhibitions Han Collection celebrates London Crafts Week with Brilliant Hues – a selection of ceramics from Icheon, … [Read More]
Gallery: CHAGOK CHAGOK at Be-oom tea rooms
Be-oom’s collaboration with BOMBOM to create a unique evening of Korean-style tapas with wine and tea pairings provided an opportunity for an informal, between lock-down, editorial meeting between LKL’s new visual arts contributor and the website’s founder. Food was beautifully presented with the sort of mild flavours you might find in temple food. The wine … [Read More]
LKFF 2020 announces its line-up
This is now the 15th edition of the festival organised by KCCUK. As is to be expected, this year is somewhat different, with many of the screenings taking place online. There’s plenty to enjoy in the programme. We’re particularly looking forward to Mark Morris’s selection of Mudang films. Here’s the official press release; we’ll be … [Read More]
Suhyung Lee at Crispins: an oasis in a desert
Six months after the start of the national lockdown, when we’d been starved of food, companionship and conviviality for half of the year, the one-night pop-up event at Crispins in Spitalfields, featuring Korean chef Suhyung Lee, was like an oasis in the desert. Yes, there was the prospect of some interesting Korean-inspired dishes – we’d … [Read More]
Gallery: Joonhong Min and Sunyoung Hwang in Urban Reckoning
Urban Reckoning, co-curated by Korean artist Joonhong Min, and also including work by Sunyoung Hwang, is at Koppel Project Hive on Holborn Viaduct, taking advantage of the gradual opening up of lockdown that has been in place since March. Min has been having a busy year, despite the pandemic, with work installed at the Korean … [Read More]
Review: Pyun Hye-young – The Law of Lines
Life was much deeper than he could ever imagine. It was impossible to tell just how far you could sink (1) Two apparent suicides in different parts of the country kick-start two separate story-lines which turn out to be interlinked. Se-oh is the daughter of one of the deceased – a man who had fallen … [Read More]
Korean films at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival (this won’t take long)
The programme for the 64th BFI London Film Festival was announced earlier this week. As one might expect, the format is somewhat different this year. The schedule boasts “over 50 virtual premieres and a selection of highly anticipated new feature film previews … with work from more than 40 countries”. However, despite the diversity of … [Read More]
September events 2020
Korean events are gradually emerging from the online world into the real world. But the Kingston Harvest Fest will be online this year. Look out for announcements about some video streamings on 26 September. Deadlines Apply to attend Sora Kim-Russell’s book talk by 1 September Fill in your K-pop Academy application by 9 September The … [Read More]
Why Crash Landing on You had us hooked
What a preposterous scenario for a drama. A chaebol heiress goes paragliding, gets swept away by a freak tornado and lands north of the DMZ, where she is discovered by a North Korean soldier and ends up getting emotionally entangled. I loved it. Of course, the scenario is a lot more complicated than that. How … [Read More]
Brief review: Kim Sagwa – b, Book, and Me
To answer the obvious question that you’re going to be asked when trying to order this item at your local bookstore, “b” and “Book” are the names of two characters in the novel. We’re not told about how b came by her name, but Book is so called because he spends all his time reading, primarily … [Read More]
Book review: Paek Nam Nyong – Friend
When faced with a translation of a book written by a North Korean, based on past experiences you might expect material that’s hostile to the regime. Texts that have been rendered into English tend to be either defector testimonies or an occasional collection of short stories or poems by a dissident writer that have apparently … [Read More]
Eat Out to Help Out your local Korean Restaurant
In these terrible times, when people are too nervous to venture out onto public transport, still less to their local restaurants, I’ve been fearing that some of my own favourite haunts may not survive the crisis. As you may know, to try to encourage people back to restaurants and to save a vital part of … [Read More]