Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, 16 May 2016, 3pm. Not far away from Songsan-ri is the fortress of Gongsanseong. It clings to the banks of the Geumgang river (nothing to do with Mount Geumgang in north Gangwondo) and its walls scale the cliffs and meander along the contours of the hill, forming a 2.6km circuit which climbs to … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 52)
2016 travel diary 6: Gongju’s royal tombs
Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, 16 May 2016, 2:15pm. The Royal Tombs in Songsan-ri Our first stop in Gongju is the set of seven or more tombs in Songsan-ri. The experts think there may be as many as ten tombs in the area. It seems odd, in an age when so much in the way of sophisticated electronics … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 5: An introduction to the Baekje Historic Areas
Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, 16 May 2016 The kingdom of Baekje had its beginnings as a small state founded on the south banks of the Han River in 18 BCE by King Onjo. The people were largely of Buyeo origins – an early kingdom absorbed into Goguryeo. The kingdom gradually grew, absorbing the small Mahan states to … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 4: National Folk Museum, Kim Soonam’s shaman portraits and the journey to Chungnam
Jongno, Seoul, Monday 16 May 2016, 9am A visit to the National Folk Museum The good thing about having a local companion sense-check your travel plans is that they can point out weaknesses that only a local is likely to know about. So when Chris saw that I was planning a day trip from Seoul … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 3: Seoul’s Fortress Walls, and genre painting at the DDP
Jongno, Seoul, Sunday 15 May 2016. The time lag has caught up with me. My intention this morning had been to go along to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza to visit the exhibition of Joseon dynasty genre paintings from the Kansong museum before joining the RASKB for a walk along the eastern sections of Seoul’s fortress … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 2: Buddha’s Birthday
Jongno, Seoul, 14 May 2016, 9am. Coffee with the Drawing Hand My first appointment of the day is at 9:30am with Kim Jieun, aka The Drawing Hand: I am due to pick up the original of her 2015 Christmas Card design for LKL – and also I am due to pay her the balance of … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 1: Arrival
Canary Wharf, London, 12 May 2016. In previous years I had always felt stressed in the run up to my departure for my annual Korea trip. Had I packed everything? Would I get everything done before I left? This time I was straining at the leash. I couldn’t wait. I had planned most of my trip … [Read More]
Wanted: Korean actors for upcoming projects
Two actors wanted for upcoming projects. Details below. 1. NOBODY by Evan Placey and Ko Sun Duck Mature Korean actor (native speaker) required for RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP Producer: National Theatre Company of Korea (Seoul), Hanyong Theatre (Birmingham) and Judy Owen Ltd Director: Peter Wynne-Willson Designer: Shin Dong Workshop dates: Mon 27 June – Fri … [Read More]
2016 travel diary: the index
Thu 12 – Fri 13 May Arrival Sat 14 May Coffee with the Drawing Hand Buddha’s Birthday 1: morning at Jogyesa. Exhibition of restored Hwaeomsa painting Wedding at Unhyeongung Buddha’s Birthday 2: lunch and afternoon concert at Giweonjeongsa Stroll through Ehwa Womans University Buddha’s Birthday 3: evening at Bongwonsa. Makgeolli and 2차 in Insadong Sun … [Read More]
The Reckitt Benckiser “death campaign” comes to London
Reckitt Benckiser’s problems in Korea haven’t had much attention in the UK until recently. But a growing campaign to boycott their products in Korea, and a small group of campaigners who came over to picket the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting on 5 May, have brought the issues into the mainstream. A week ago, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) … [Read More]
The V+A’s official video of Kang Yiyun’s residency
The V+A has put together a short video of Yiyun Kang’s residency, with footage from the two performances of her work in the Cast Courts. Much more informative than LKL’s botched effort. There’s also a brief blog post on the museum’s website, and you can find a better quality version of the video on vimeo. … [Read More]
2011 Korea Trip: The Stories of the Stones – an introduction
When I started writing up my 2011 Korea trip a few days after returning to London in May that year, I said “the write-ups are going to take a while to put together and will involve rather more legwork than last year, but I’ll get them done over the next few weeks.” Five years later, … [Read More]
May events 2016
Music Giriboy plays the Miranda in Shoreditch on 1 May Joo Yeon Sir has recitals at St John’s Smith Square on 5 and 22 May and joins a concert by Karl Jenkins at the Festival Hall on 6 May B.A.P’s World Tour hits the Coronet on 13 May Jambinai performs at Corsica Studios on 16 … [Read More]
A way to make sure you never have enough time in Korea
I’ve just discovered a great way to help plan a trip to a particular part of Korea to make sure you get maximum value from your time in the area. Go to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) website, go to Explore Heritage and then Heritage Search. In the search form, select the Location (province or … [Read More]
Wanted: actors for short film on North Korean refugee in Britain
Having enjoyed In-Sook Chappell’s two stage plays, I’m delighted to hear that she has a short film planned. She is looking for actors, with or without experience or training, to cast. Here’s the brief. Do please volunteer, because I want to see this film! KOCHEBI: A short film written and directed by In-Sook Chappell. It’s … [Read More]
Younee releases second solo album
Those of you looking for interesting piano music should seek out Younee’s second solo release. She came to London back in 2009 with the launch of the album True to You (reviewed here) which showcased her talents as a singer-songwriter, and she entertained live and radio audiences with the many different facets of her musical … [Read More]