Eungjun Min, Jinsook Joo, Han Ju Kwak (Praeger, 2003) Proof that an academic book on film does not have to be unreadable; and apart from the first chapter this book is accessible to the general reader. The first chapter can, however, be safely ignored, as it seems simply to serve to establish that the authors … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 226)
Exhibition Visit: Traditional yet Contemporary
Air Gallery, London, May 29 – June 3 2006 As Stephanie Seung-min Kim says in her article introducing the exhibition, “…culture can only be seen in a clear light when compared with other cultures. I believe that is why Korean ceramic works have to be judged more in an international setting.” The exhibition demonstrated the … [Read More]
June events 2006
The 2006 London Korean Festival is now over. You can still comment on the films here, and also please give some feedback on the film festival generally by filling out my survey here. Comment on the Traditional Yet Contemporary exhibition here. If you managed to get to the final event, Professor Kim Chang-nam’s talk, please … [Read More]
A new Korean export opportunity?
With Japan’s supplies of cheap disposable chopsticks coming under threat, and the alternative re-usable plastic chopsticks a bit naff, Japan’s very way of life is under threat. There is surely an alternative: Korean metal chopsticks. An undreamed-of export opportunity. The (London) Times provides the background. Chopstick tussle adds bite to Orient’s diplomatic spat The Times … [Read More]
Oxford to retain Korean Studies programme
From yesterday’s Korea Times. Thanks to Aidan FC for spotting this. Oxford University will continue to run its Korean studies program, which was initially scheduled to close down in June 2007, thanks to financial support a Korean nonprofit organization and a private company. The Korea Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting international understanding of … [Read More]
Thanks for the mention – but you missed someone
Every City worker, or at least every sensible one I’ve come across, whether they be lawyer, accountant, banker or whatever, longs to be involved in non-City things. Most of them, given the chance, would give it up and take up garden design, travel the world, do something arty, charitable, anything so long as it involved … [Read More]
Walmart follows Carrefour in exit from Korea
I know I’m behind the times on this one. I’ve been focusing on the London Korean Festival and so have been neglecting other posts, but I didn’t want to lose this story. I can’t say that I’m sorry that big foreign retailing warehouses aren’t succeeding in Korea. This article is from the International Herald Tribune, … [Read More]
New Korean gallery opens in Paris
For your weekend away in Paris, there’s a new attraction. Steer clear of anything to do with the Da Vinci Code at the Louvre and instead go to the new museum of African & Asian cultures at Quai Branly. Thanks to David at www.kahoidong.com for a link to this article on the Yonhap site. SEOUL, … [Read More]
Review: Oh! Youran – performance at V&A Korean day, 27 May
I’m sorry I didn’t manage to get to all of the performance of Oh! Youran. For me, Saturday afternoon is not the best time for a theatrical performance, but I guess given the generosity of the V&A in hosting this event in their lecture theatre, certain compromises have to be made in terms of logistics. … [Read More]
Thanks for visiting
I’ve just been looking at the website traffic statistics for May. Average visits 110 per day; average hits 1,245 per day. Total number of unique visitors in the month: 1,922. Given that this site started only 10 weeks ago, more as a personal scrapbook than anything else, I’m grateful that people find it worth a … [Read More]
Review: Korean Breeze – Bloomsbury Theatre 24 May
An evening which displayed the rich variety of Korean traditional music. This was a big enterprise, with twelve distinguished musicians involved in the tour, organised by Justina Jang of the Korean Cultural Promotion Agency as part of Think Korea 2006. The musicians played earlier the same week in the Hollywell Music Room in Oxford and … [Read More]
New Korean-related novels in English
For those of you who still have your copy of the FT weekend magazine from 27/28 May hanging about (or who are spendthrift enough to subscribe to ft.com), there’s details of two new novels in English with a Korean flavour — one just published, and one coming up later this year. Firstly, the one reviewed … [Read More]
Seoul’s redevelopment and the erosion of Gahoedong
At the London Korean Festival we’ve been treated to images of the revitalisation and greening of central Seoul, with displays of the Chonggyecheon reconstruction. However, there is an all-too-familiar flipside to modern construction projects: my attention has just been drawn to a website which catalogues the demolition of Seoul’s last few streets of traditional housing … [Read More]
Christ’s tomb maintained by Japanese yoghurt profits
An off-topic post, but this story is too good to pass up. Today’s (London) Times is a bit of a mess. Its leader column, trying to say something witty about our comedy deputy prime minister having an afternoon playing croquet with his aides (why that’s a resignation issue is beyond me – it’s not as … [Read More]
Festival film review: Love is a Crazy Thing (연애)
I dreamt last night that I was interviewed about my reactions upon seeing Love is a Crazy Thing (OH Seok-geun, 2005) which screened yesterday evening at the Korean Film festival 2006. Well, actually, it was more of a nightmare. This is how the interview went. CJ Entertainment: Did this film entertain you? Me: No Sorry? … [Read More]
Korean Ceramics: Arts and Techniques. Or, Why don’t people talk to each other?
KOREAN CERAMICS: ARTS AND TECHNIQUES TALK BY DAUPHINE SCALBERT Thursday 25 May 2006, 6.30-7.30pm at Asia House Dauphine Scalbert is a distinguished French potter who, having spent 6 years studying pottery and restoring antique ceramics in Korea, has Korean pots in her blood. Her copiously illustrated talk at Asia House last night was an interesting … [Read More]