Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie has just been in the news for winning the Polar Music Prize 2015 along with Emmylou Harris. The award, according to its website, is “one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, crossing over musical boundaries and awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 65)
Exhibition visit: Hur Shan at Gazelli Art House
Hur Shan’s first solo show at Gazelli Art House highlights some interesting new directions in his practice. Hur has always been interested in what lies beneath the surface: his architectural installations hack away at concrete pillars or the plasterwork on a wall to reveal treasures embedded in the underlying fabric: an ancient ceramic or a … [Read More]
Adultery law – why was it ever a criminal offence in the first place?
The recent news item that the adultery was to be decriminalised in South Korea, 62 years after it was written into the criminal code, got me wondering as to why, when a country is rebuilding itself after a devastating war, would it be considered a priority to add adultery to the list of criminal offences. … [Read More]
Why Jeju Islanders don’t want Chinese to be allowed to drive?
A while ago we noticed an article in the Korean press which suggested people in Jeju-do were unhappy about Chinese being allowed to drive rental cars on the island when on vacation. I wondered what it was that concerned them. Then, the other day, I came across this article in H’s Week in China publication, … [Read More]
A day of art, documentary and music, all for free
It always amazes me how much is on offer for free in London. I was determined to get to at least one of Joo Yeon Sir’s (free) Beethoven recitals at the Royal College of Music – but at 6pm, they are inconveniently early in the evening for someone working at Canary Wharf. So I booked … [Read More]
Sylvia Park receives her MBE
Although Sylvia Park was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June last year, the actual investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace did not take place until 30 January 2015. Resplendent in red and green hanbok, Sylvia received the honour from the Prince of Wales. She commented: So very thrilled, happy and proud … [Read More]
March events 2015
Music The last chance to see the DPRK Para Ensemble is 2 March in Cambridge Sunwook Kim performs Bach, Beethoven and Moussorgsky at the QEH on 3 March Unsuk Chin’s opera Alice in Wonderland gets its UK premiere in a cut-down orchestration at the Barbican on 8 March Joo Yeon Sir embarks on a cycle … [Read More]
Brief exhibition visit: Hyojin Park in Reconstructed Minds, at Skipwiths
Skipwiths’ inaugural group show, which juxtaposes the works of three contemporary artists alongside ancient Chinese ceramics and 20th Century Western artists, is remarkably successful in drawing parallels – both intended and unintended – between the works. Hyojin Park is represented not just by one of her photographic prints from the Spiritual Garden series but two sculptures … [Read More]
Concert Notes: Korean Chamber Orchestra with John Malkovich at the QEH
To celebrate their 50th birthday, the Korean Chamber Orchestra are doing a European tour, and their first stop was London. For works involving just strings, the orchestra is directed by its konzertmeister Kim Min, and for their London concert Finnish conductor Ralf Gothoni took the baton for anything larger. It was ambitious to open their London concert … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Korean highlights of London Art Fair 2015
This year LKL avoided the crowded opening evening of the London Art Fair, opting for a quieter evening later in the week. It’s something we’ll do in future. There still seem to be waiters wandering round offering free drinks, but with fewer punters around you can actually move between the galleries you want to see … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Out of the Ordinary — Award-winning works by Young Korean Architects
LKL reports from the exhibition of young Korean architects at The CASS, which runs until 28 February. In an informative essay in the Out of the Ordinary catalogue, associate curator Junghyun Park gives us a fascinating snippet of information. When Neo meets the Architect of The Matrix in the final scene of The Matrix Reloaded, … [Read More]
Global Oriental title on Joseon dynasty wins American Library Association award
Congratulations to Brill / Global Oriental books, whose Everyday Life in Joseon-Era Korea was in Choice Magazine’s list of Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014. The book, edited by Cambridge University’s Michael Shin, is a collection of features on various aspects of life in the Joseon Dynasty: Everyday Life in Joseon-Era Korea shows how the momentous … [Read More]
Published this month: Ko Un’s Maninbo, from Bloodaxe
Bloodaxe Books, who last year brought us Kim Hyesoon’s I’m OK, I’m Pig!, and who brought us Ko Un’s moving First Person Sorrowful in 2012 continue their support for Korean poetry in translation by bringing us a selection from Ko Un’s magnum opus, Ten Thousand Lives. Once again Brother Anthony and Lee Sang-Wha are the … [Read More]
Looking back at 2014: Domestic news
Our final look back at 2014: mainly domestic news stories from South Korea: The Sewol and safety culture The MV Sewol capsized on 16 April, causing the death of 304 passengers. A number of factors contributed to the disaster, including lax safety inspections, unsafe modifications, unsecured cargo, overloading, and an inexperienced crew hired on temporary … [Read More]
Looking back at 2014: DPRK and regional news
In our third review of 2014, we look at some of the North Korea related news, and stories which put the peninsula in a wider East Asian context. Domestic news Kim Jong Un’s disappearance from public view in the Autumn prompted speculation ranging from a case of gout to a “very specific kind of coup”. … [Read More]
Looking back at 2014: Entertainment news
In the second of four retrospective articles, we recall some of the entertainment stories that caught our eye in 2014. Good year for: Popular TV drama My Love from the Star had an impact beyond its 21 episode span. The lead female character, played by Jeon Ji-hyun, managed to boost sales of trenchcoats in Korea, … [Read More]