It was a perfect day in More London, by Tower Bridge, and the crowds were out in large numbers to enjoy the Thames Festival. The Korean contingent had taken possession of The Scoop for the weekend, and over 70 performers had come over from Korea to entertain the festival-goers. Reflecting the current marketing push to … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 173)
Korean singer-songwriter explores London pub
Fun evening with Younee at the Golden Eagle yesterday #. She entertained the regulars with an impromptu rock ‘n’ roll version of Summertime on the piano. [Read More]
Six ways to see South Korea
If you are travelling by Finnair this month, you will see a striking image on the front page of their in-flight magazine, Blue Wings. A shamanistic dancer in a bright yellow costume looks you in the eye, advertising the lead article on the delights of Korea as a travel destination. Finnair flies non-stop to Seoul … [Read More]
Why on earth would UNESCO honour Seoul’s hanok regeneration programme?
Seoul City planners have been honoured by UNESCO for their Bukchon hanok “regeneration” programme. How on earth did that happen, given their not very stellar record? (See kahoidong.com) # [Read More]
Jongmyo skyscraper may irk UNESCO
Seoul’s skyscraper may irk UNESCO, according to the Korea Times. A new 36-storey building could mean Jongmyo Shrine loses world heritage status: http://bit.ly/oiEuJ # [Read More]
Unsuk Chin Cello Concerto on Maestrocam
Unsuk Chin’s cello concerto at the Proms: still available on BBC MaestroCam http://bit.ly/4TKdk #. Well worth your time. [Read More]
Yi T’ae-jun’s Eastern Sentiments published
A new translation of essays by colonial-period writer Yi T’ae-jun: “Eastern Sentiments”, translated by Janet Poole, Columbia UP: http://bit.ly/akMvg #; available at Amazon.co.uk. “Yi laments the passing of tradition with keen sensibility yet, at the same time, celebrates human perseverance in the face of loss and change.” [Read More]
Visit GoKorea.co.uk and enjoy the Festival
As most readers will know, this weekend’s Thames Festival is a fun event, and more importantly has a lot of Korean performers entertaining the crowds and bringing the best of Korean culture to London. The Korean “Village” is sponsored by Asiana Airlines, Expedia, H.I.S., the Korea Tourism Organisation and the Korean Cultural Centre UK. In … [Read More]
The Host prequel – a preview
A first look at the monster from The Host 2 (prequel): looks like a comedy. Fortunately, nothing to do with Bong Joon-ho http://bit.ly/pnNAf # Image via DAUM. [Read More]
Visit Korea, tour a shipyard
LKL ponders some of the out-of-the-ordinary things you might want to do on holiday in Korea In the Q&A which followed the Korean Tourism presentation and documentary screening at the Cultural Centre last week, some unusual holiday ideas were floated, all of which are achievable in Korea. Here are some of the suggestions, supplemented with … [Read More]
September events 2009
Featured event For the third year running, Korea has a high-profile input into the Thames Festival: 12-13 September Other performances Dulsori appears at the Tower Festival on 19 September Social and meetups The Anglo-Korean Society has its first monthly meetup on 2 September in a central London restaurant. The Anglo-Korean Society’s Chuseok dinner is on … [Read More]
The Folding Plug
Korean designer Choi Min-kyu fixes clunky UK 3-pin plugs. Ingenious. “I was on my way to college once and put my laptop in my bag, but when I took it out again there was a huge scratch across the surface which had been made by my plug,” said Mr Choi, who moved to the UK … [Read More]
Visit Korea, experience the Cold War
Coming to the Travel Channel this autumn is a new travel documentary on Korea. At the Korea Tourism evening at the KCC last week we were given a preview. It was refreshing: a Korean tourism documentary, but from a Westerner’s perspective. Yes, we were told that the KTO assisted in the film’s production, but the … [Read More]
Ha Ji-won speaks Busan dialect like a native
Ha Ji-won’s Busan accent takes Haeundae over the 10 million mark. # So convincing is Ha’s Busan accent that even locals believe she is one of their own, but in fact she mastered the accent with the help of a dialect coach. Nice that she’s drinking the local soju brand, too. Source: Chosun Ilbo [Read More]
Surprise sushi restaurant in New Malden mini-market
There’s a good sushi restaurant at the back of the Seoul Plaza shop very near the Fountain Pub in New Malden. Turbot Set with maeuntang especially recommended! # [Read More]
Visit Korea, escape to Thailand
LKL considers the flight schedules and concludes that a critical vacation problem might just be soluble. “Taekwondo, Technology and Kimchi” was the title of the talk given by the KTO at the KCC on Tuesday this week. The talk was billed as follows: Culture shock, modern, unique, dynamic, sparkling, friendly, technological, ancient! These are all … [Read More]