I’m sorry I never had any time to write up the Map exhibition at the KCC properly. Alas, it’s over now. I managed to miss most of Beth McKillop’s informative talk, and never had the chance to persuade Shin Eunjeong to show me around. If I get a moment I’ll do a quick Reader’s Digest … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 188)
BAKS 2008 Cambridge Conference: first announcement
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR KOREAN STUDIES 2008 Biennial Conference ‘The Koreas at 60: Looking Back, Looking Forward’ FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT The Association will host its biennial conference at Clare College, the University of Cambridge from Monday 8 September to Wednesday 10 September. The Keynote Speaker on the evening of 8 September will be Prof. Meredith Jung-En … [Read More]
KCC previews Seoul: World Design Capital 2010
Notice of an upcoming exhibition in the Korean Cultural Centre, coinciding with the London Festival of Architecture 2008. The London Festival of Architecture 2008 (20 June – 20 July 2008) will be the biggest event of its kind in the world with over 400 events happening throughout London. As part of the brilliant festival, Korean … [Read More]
Call for Artists
The British Council and the KCC are co-sponsoring an exhibition by artists of Korean origin working in the UK. The exhibition will be held in December 2008. A Call for artists notice has been published on the KCC website. Applications are due in by 1 August 2008. Details from the KCC. Links: Download the application … [Read More]
Kimchi in Metroland – Korean Cooking with Kie-jo Sarsfield
It was a sunny Saturday morning. Louise and I found ourselves speeding through the leafy countryside of Buckinghamshire on the way to the Chalfonts, towards the end of the Metropolitan Line. We were to be the willing guinea pigs for Kie-jo Sarsfield’s Korean Cookery classes. The taxi was waiting for us at the station, and … [Read More]
The Old Justice – the only Korean-owned pub in Central London?
In a corner of Bermondsey, right by the river, is one of many traditional East End boozers. Outside: picnic benches, barrels to put your pint glasses on, hanging baskets of flowers, and a view towards Tower Bridge (right). Inside, it’s cosy. High on the wall, a TV showing the footie (left). Oak paneled walls. In … [Read More]
War Stories: Taegukgi and Welcome to Dongmakgol screen at the KCC
The Korean War started in June 1950, and the Korean Cultural Centre has selected the War as the theme for the two films to be screened there this month. The first, on 12 June, is Taegukgi (태극기 휘날리며, also known as Brotherhood, or even Brotherhood of War), by Kang Je gyu (2004), while later in … [Read More]
North-South Korea b-boy battle
Someone’s been having a bit of fun creating a spoof b-boy battle at Panmunjom. Enjoy. You have to wait 60 seconds for the real action to start. HT to Tom Coyner. [Read More]
The Dano Korea Summer Festival 2008 – our somewhat haphazard coverage begins
We’ll be seeing a number of accounts of the Dano Korea Summer Festival yesterday. I could have decided to exercise some executive editorial control and make sure that every aspect was covered once and once only, but instead I’m going with the flow and seeing what comes my way. Things never happen entirely as planned … [Read More]
Photos from Trafalgar Square
I seem to have mislaid my camera, and am therefore dependent on my phone for pictures at the moment. Hence the snaps I took in Trafalgar Square this afternoon are very poor. Please feel free to send in any photos you’re particularly proud of (my email address is philip at this website’s URL), or upload … [Read More]
Dano: the VIP messages
In all the excitement of the day, often the messages from the sponsors, both financial and political, can be overlooked. But it’s worth taking a look at the messages to put the day in context and consider it in the bigger picture of UK-Korea relations. “Opening” the Dano Festival was one of the first (if … [Read More]
Candle-lit vigil in central London
It is the weekend when Korean culture is on display in Central London: today sees the Dano Korea Summer Festival, with traditional dancing, food, fan-making and more contemporary music in Trafalgar Square. Last night another traditional Korean activity was on show – the street protest. An estimated 250 Koreans gathered in Whitehall opposite Downing Street … [Read More]
Korean language classes at the KCC
A good-value way to start learning Korean: The Korean Cultural Centre UK embarks on its first Korean language programme for beginners on Wednesday 25 June in the Centre. This course is a social education facility that teaches the language and culture of Korea to people in the UK and overseas Koreans who wish to learn … [Read More]
June events 2008
Here are the events that I know about for June. Apologies for the delays in posting this – my broadband service is down at the moment and I have to find alternative solutions for posting. As ever, please let me know of addenda and corrigenda. Festivals 8 June: Dano summer festival, Trafalgar Square, 1-7pm. Last … [Read More]
The financial sector as engine for growth
There was no hope of applying the Chatham House rule at yesterday’s talk by HE Dr Jun Kwang-woo, chairman of Korea’s Financial Services Commission. With two TV cameras and numerous digital recorders on show, this meeting was firmly on the record. Reflecting the more formal nature of this meeting, Dr Jun spoke from a prepared … [Read More]
Chosun Ilbo border-crosser documentary footage shown on BBC
Newsnight last night screened a 17 minute extract from the Chosun’s documentary on North Korean border crossers in Northern China. A very brief extract, together with the BBC reporter’s write-up, can be found on the BBC website here. The Chosun Ilbo website says that there will be more extended versions of the footage screening on … [Read More]