Our abies koreana has probably grown about half an inch this year. It has thus failed to meet its very reasonable targets which we set a year ago. Yet this is the season of goodwill, and the kind-hearted Louise has granted a reprieve. For some reason, she has a soft spot for this straggly piece … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 195)
Season’s greetings to all our readers
And an interesting seasonal post from Robert Neff: Christmas comes to Old Korea, OhMyNews, 24 December 2007 [Read More]
LKL Quiz of the Year 2007
As a bit of seasonal fun, here’s a little quiz to test your knowledge of the events of the past year. Question 1: Corporate crooks and corruption An easy one to warm up with. Match the alleged quote with the appropriate chaebol The conglomorate had run a vast network that bribed government officials, prosecutors, tax … [Read More]
Some Lee Young-ae videos
I’ve been feeling guilty about not meeting the needs of all those people who come to this site looking for articles about the lovely Lee Young-ae and not finding very much. Having done a few searches on YouTube I’m amazed at the dedication of fans who create tributes to their favourite star. Here’s a small … [Read More]
Now comes the hard part: the task facing the Lee Myung-bak presidency
The easy bit was to capitalise on disaffection with the Roh regime. Now President-elect Lee has to figure out how to deliver on his election slogan: the 747 economy. So now Lee has to set South Korea on a course where annual GDP growth is 7%, GDP per head is $40,000 per annum, and South … [Read More]
Two more 2007 album choices
As an appendix to the recommendations by the three critics who know Korean pop, rock and indie music much better than me, here are two further choices. I can’t help but sympathise with Jenny when she comments that 2007 was not an outstanding year. My own purchases of Korean music are somewhat random. When I’m … [Read More]
Insult me again
A frivolous post for election day. About a year ago, when I was more assiduous in reading the Chosun’s celebrity pages than I am now, I noted a trend in mindless prose, particularly when the paper was commenting on the most recent commercial featuring some skimpily-clad popstrel or other. I was convinced that the text … [Read More]
The artists at Spectrum
Here are brief details of the works and artists appearing in the Spectrum Korean Contemporary Arts show at the Jerwood Space, 14-18 December 2007. The details are extracted from the exhibition catalogue. Luca Sangjun Kim My paintings are focused on materialization of fundamental elements of painting applied. With the properties of paint as material, a … [Read More]
Racial tensions in Queens
Leonard Chang: The Fruit ‘n Food Black Heron Press, 1996 Leonard Chang’s first novel is proof that giving away key elements of the plot in advance need not ruin the enjoyment of a work of fiction. The book starts at the end, with the hero in hospital, blinded and incapacitated. You are told how the … [Read More]
That Wonder Girls song – and an antidote
This one will be quick. Once again, Matt over at Popular Gusts has written the post that everyone wishes they’d written themselves. So, here’s Tell Me, the song and dance that everyone’s talking about, performed by the teenage girl band Wonder Girls – the creation of Park Jin-young (JYP), the man who invented Rain: Traffic … [Read More]
Grow your own Korean vegetables
Louise has been browsing the magazines for possible cures – or replacements – for our sickly abies koreana. Browsing the Royal Horticultural Society’s periodical the other day she found an interesting feature on Korean vegetables. A local Korean who grows Korean vegetables in his New Malden allotment was featured. For those who want to grow … [Read More]
Book review: Kim Seong-dong — Mandala
Kim Sung-dong: Mandala Translated by Ahn Jung-hyo Dongsu Munhaksa, 1990 A novel about the search for truth, and about the nature of corruption in religion. When Pobun takes his priestly vows, he undertakes not to kill, steal, have sex, lie, drink, wear ornaments, sing or dance, sleep in a comfortable bed, possess gold, or eat … [Read More]
Study Korean and Japanese Art at SOAS
A great opportunity to find out more about Korean art: study towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Study Korean and Japanese Art at SOAS — April — July 2008 The former British Museum postgraduate diploma course in Asian Art will now be offered at SOAS from 2008. Korea and Japan are seen in their … [Read More]
The documentary “Welcome to North Korea”
If you have an hour to spare, this documentary by Peter Tetteroo and Raymond Feddema is worth a look despite being a couple of years old. Thanks to Robert Koehler over at Seoul Magazine for the tip. The documentary can be seen at https://archive.org/details/WelcometoNorthKorea. Welcome to North Korea Rating: NR Running Time: 60 Minutes Directed … [Read More]
Dec 07 BAKS conference report #7: Koen De Ceuster
Dr Koen De Ceuster – Docent, Leiden University The Korean delegation at the 1907 Peace Conference in The Hague Abstract: Barred from attending the Hague Peace Conference, the Korean delegation at first sight miserably failed in its task of representing Korea at the Conference. Reading this episode as a continuation of Kojong’s ongoing attempts to … [Read More]
Dec 07 BAKS conference report #6: Owen Miller
Dr Owen Miller – Research Fellow, Centre for Korean Studies, SOAS The crisis of Seoul’s traditional commercial system, 1876-1895 Abstract: The guild system of late Chosŏn Seoul and the guild-government trade underpinned the commerce of the capital city and represented a significant slice of national commerce as a whole. This premodern commercial system rested on … [Read More]