“Aigoo!” grumbled veteran pop diva Yoon Bok-hee as she bent down to untangle a kink in the microphone cable. Her back didn’t seem to be giving her any problems though. She told us twice, to much applause, that she is now 63 years old, and very sprightly she is too. This was all part of … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 178)
Choi Jin-shil “failed to maintain dignity”
The late Choi Jin-shil, domestic violence and her advertising contract: The top court ruled that she caused damage to the [construction] company by “failing to keep her social and moral honor” and thus depreciating the brand image. Following Choi’s suicide last October, her two children ― one preschooler and the other primary schooler ― are … [Read More]
David Halberstam’s Korean War
David Halberstam The Coldest Winter – America and the Korean War 718pp, Hyperion, 2007 The subtitle of David Halberstam’s magnum opus, The Coldest Winter – America and the Korean War, at first seems a bit unimaginative. But it is to the point. After all, without Truman’s decision to commit US ground forces, the whole Korean … [Read More]
Concert notes: a Chunghyang operatic evening at the KCC
Sol Opera Company has just been on a European tour, and before it goes back to Korea it came to the Korean Cultural Centre to present some arias. Sol O pera Company is based in Busan, and was introduced to the audience by the ROK ambassador, himself a Busanite. Sol has been going for seven … [Read More]
Exhibition review: Korean Aesthetics at Albemarle Gallery
In some group exhibitions, you wonder what it is that has brought the several artists together. Not so with the current show of Korean artists at the Albemarle Gallery. Lee Jae-hyo has shown at the Albermarle before, and together with Park Seungmo was included in the Albemarle’s stand at the London Art Fair back in … [Read More]
Korea’s got talent
While Britons were focused on their own domestic talent competition last week, Korea was demonstrating the depth of its classical music talent at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. The venue was the Palais des Beaux Arts, where earlier this year the Smile of Buddha exhibition was held. The Queen Elisabeth competition traces … [Read More]
June events 2009
Here are the events that I know of for June Featured event The third New Malden Arts Festival, organised by Theatre4All, runs from 16 June – 11 July Highlights are Opening gala concert on 16 June by veteran pop diva Yoon Bok Hee Korea’s hit show Nanta coming to the Rose Theatre in Kingston from … [Read More]
Yeah Seoul! – the FC Seoul theme tune
For those who were disappointed, on reading Ash’s recent corker of an article on Korean Soccer Wars, that they could not find the FC Seoul theme tune on the FC Seoul website, we’ve managed to find a copy of it for your delectation. It’s a catchy little number, complete with lyrics for you to follow. … [Read More]
Roh Moo Hyun RIP
One of the sad things about ex-President Roh’s death is the lack of news coverage it has received in the UK. The sad event was on Saturday morning 23 May, Korea time. Reuters, with the advantage of the date line on their side, managed a 22 May report. To their credit, the BBC has had … [Read More]
Mayor Boris in Seoul
The most bizarre (at least initially) news item on the BBC a couple of days ago was (a) Bill Clinton praising a building project in (b) London’s dowdy Elephant and Castle area (c) while in Seoul. What was the former president doing in Korea talking about one of London’s least loved tube stations? We discover … [Read More]
Calling all Seoulites in Cambridge and London
A request for help from a PhD student in Cambridge. Do help out if you can. There’s some pocket money in it for you: 안녕하세요? Cambridge University Phonetics Lab 에서 서울말 연구를 하고 있는 박사과정 학생입니다. 간단한 듣기 실험 (한국말 소리를 듣고 질문에 대답하는 것) 도와주실 분을 찾고 있습니다. 실험은 1시간 ~ 2시간 정도가 소요 … [Read More]
Ragnarok – one of Korea’s top manhwa
Manhwa in Korea was born 100 years ago. From their beginnings as cartoons in the newspapers, they have grown into long-running graphic novel serials with spin-offs in online games and big screen adaptations. Among the most celebrated of modern Manhwa series are Priest (Hyung Min-woo) and Ragnarok (Lee Myung-jin). Both of these have been translated … [Read More]
Ernest Bethell in Korea
The ambassador’s blog reminds us that it is 100 years since the death of Ernest T Bethell, “a name all but unknown in his homeland”. Bethell merits half a page in Don Clark’s Living Dangerously in Korea – the Western Experience 1900-1950, but occupies the first (very brief) chapter in Don Kirk and Choe Sang-hun’s … [Read More]
Youn Sun Nan [sic] on BBC World Service
![Thumbnail for post: Youn Sun Nan [sic] on BBC World Service](https://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/nys_laugh_sq.jpg)
While in London at the beginning of the week for the UK leg of her world tour, Youn Sun Nah found time to pop into the BBC World Service studio to meet Mark Coles of the Arts programme The Strand. Coles’s researcher had done some of the background work, having read the relevant press materials … [Read More]
Review: Youn Sun Nah and Ulf Wakenius at the Vortex
There weren’t many people who knew what to expect at the Vortex on Sunday night. Time Out had given a useful taster in their listings column, while one or two Korean fans (including the ambassador’s wife) knew Youn Sun Nah’s music well. Probably most of the audience were there because they are Vortex regulars – … [Read More]
Time Out previews Youn Sun Nah
Time Out provides the following encouragement to come along to The Vortex this Sunday evening: Korean jazz singer YSN may be a new name on these shores, but she’s already clocked up six albums; her latest, “Voyage” released on prestigious German label, ACT. Here with leading Swedish guitarist Wakenius, she lets the full range of … [Read More]