As was inevitable, the collapse of the Doha round of free trade talks have put on hold the limited freeing-up of the Korean legal market. They have now been put in the queue behind the interminable negotiations of the bilateral FTA with the US, according to the England & Wales Law Society Gazette. Reading the … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 219)
September site statistics
A brief round-up of site traffic, more for my own interest than anything else Popular searches As predicted, all I have to do to improve my hit rate is to have a post on Lee Sabi. She’s the top search phrase which results in people coming up with my site. 59 visits in September. However, … [Read More]
Samsung chief visits his favourite football club
The boss was over from Korea, so there was a Samsung management team outing to see Chelsea draw 1-1 with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, according to the JoongAng Daily. Lee Kun-hee used the occasion to compare a successful business with a successful football club. “The premier league is where the best athletes … [Read More]
Festival film review: Pororo to the Cookie Castle
I thought I ought to see at least one Korean animation as part of the recent film festival, so I took pot luck with the one that best fitted my Saturday schedule and ended up watching Pororo to the Cookie Castle. In the foyer of the Odeon Covent Garden was a 4-foot high penguin, beside … [Read More]
BBC news video on recent London Korean Film Festival
A quick interview with Kwak Kyung-taek and Roger Clark, and a quick preview of King and the Clown, to be featured at the BFI London Film Festival. The presenter mentions that there are two other Korean films at the BFI festival. I can only find the one short film. If anyone can spot the other … [Read More]
DPRK e-bulletin: New measure to bolster war deterrent
Just received from the London DPRK embassy Pyongyang, October 3 (KCNA) — The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea issued the following statement Tuesday solemnly clarifying the DPRK stand on the new measure to be taken by it to bolster its war deterrent for self-defence: The U.S daily increasing threat of a … [Read More]
Times under fire for Korean aid allegations
The (London) Times is drawing fire from the Chosun for its mischievous linking of Seoul’s increasing largesse in foreign aid with Ban Ki-Moon’s candidacy for the secretary-generalship of the United Nations. An article from last week catalogued the increased amounts of aid pledged by Seoul to various African nations. A prompt rebuttal by the ministry … [Read More]
Event report: the Anglo Korean Society visit to the V+A
Many thanks to Sylvia Park for organising a fun evening of food and learning on 20 September, and of course to Beth McKillop, curator of the V&A’s Asian collection, for guiding the assembled company through the V&A’s Korean exhibits. The evening started in the Samsung gallery at the V&A, in front of the stoneware from … [Read More]
Korea has OECD’s top suicide rate
Korea’s National Statistics Office recent report was picked up by Yonhap and the Chosun. “The high suicide rate in South Korea seems to reflect a surge in social conflicts, including feuds between the sexes, economic hardship and domestic violence,” an NSO official said according to Yonhap. The Chosun article focuses on the “prolonged economic slump … [Read More]
October events 2006
Here are the events we know about for this month: All month: Give me Shelter, at Union Gallery Till 1 October: the second 2006 London Korean Film Festival 5 – 12 October: K-film blockbuster season on Film 4 6 – 29 October: Circuit Diagram at Cell gallery Thursday 12 October: Chuseok celebrations at Asia House … [Read More]
Kimchi juice: the art medium of the future – a visit to Give me Shelter at Union Gallery
I went to the “Give me Shelter” exhibition at the Union Gallery one lunchtime this week, as it’s only 15 minutes walk from my office. I’ll be going back again. Possibly the easiest works to relate to are the biggest and the smallest. Hyungkoo Lee‘s skeletal coyote and roadrunner occupied a whole room, atmospherically lit. … [Read More]
Get your preview ticket for the Oscars now
The booking lines open today for the BFI London Film Festival. If you want to see Korea’s entry for the foreign language Oscars, the King and the Clown, book soon. I always find these film festivals a bit crazy. All those films during working hours when people with jobs can’t go to see them, and … [Read More]
Kwak Kyung-taek’s next film a lower-budget romance
At last night’s Q&A following a packed showing of Typhoon (queue above), director Kwak Kyung-taek confirmed that his next film will have a slightly smaller budget than his last, which had disappointing box office result despite its large budget. It will be a romance, and Kwak is talking to Lee Jung-jae, the hero of Typhoon, … [Read More]
A sinister accident?
Just received this from Tom Coyner – a circular email sent by campaigner for DPRK human rights Dr Norbert Vollertsen. Coming back from Thailand after taking care for arrested North Korean refugees and South Korean activists there here in downtown Seoul I was attacked by a street gang and knocked down in the middle of … [Read More]
Sunwook Kim triumphs at Leeds piano competition
Thanks to Aidan Foster-Carter for the following: It was a notable night for Korea at the finals of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition 2006. Held triennially, this is one of the world’s leading prizes. Past winners include Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Dmitri Alexeev, and Artur Pizarro. To those illustrious names, add Sunwook Kim (above): at … [Read More]
Seoul’s relations with Africa and Cuba
AidanFC’s recent article in the Asia Times noted that South Korea now has diplomatic relations with all the African countries, with the opening of ambassador-level relations with the Republic of Guinea on 28 August. He gives some of the history There was a time when Guinea was a beacon of the Afro-Asian struggle against colonialism. … [Read More]