London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Emotions in Korean Philosophy and Religion: Confucian, Comparative, and Contemporary Perspectives

This pioneering book presents thirteen articles on the fascinating topic of emotions (jeong 情) in Korean philosophy and religion. Its introductory chapter comprehensively provides a textual, philosophical, ethical, and religious background on this topic in terms of emotions West and East, emotions in the Chinese and Buddhist traditions, and Korean perspectives. Chapters 2 to 5 of … [Read More]

Body and Ki in GiCheon – Practices of Self-Cultivation in Contemporary Korea

This is the first English language book that studies contemporary practices of self-cultivation in South Korea called ki suryŏn (氣修練 training related to ki – “life energy”), reinvented in modernity similarly to Indian yoga and Chinese qigong. I focus on GiCheon, one of the ki suryŏn practices. By Victoria Ten (Jeon Yeon Hwa) https://www.ergon-shop.de/titel/body-and-ki-in-gicheon-id-89162/ [Read More]

Religions of Old Korea

From the publisher’s website: This book, first published in 1932, was written by a Western expert on Korea, and was the first to thoroughly investigate and document the old religious practices of Korea. No book like this could be written again from original sources, for all of the data has passed away, and archival records … [Read More]

Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea

From the publisher’s website: Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea addresses a wide range of traditions, serving as a guide to those interested in Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, Christianity and many others. It brings readers along a journey from the past to the present, moving beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula. In this book Kevin N. … [Read More]

Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection

From the publisher’s website: From the author of the phenomenal multi-million copy bestseller The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down “Hearing the words ‘be good to yourself first, then to others’ was like being struck by lightning.” Many of us respond to the pressures of life by turning inwards and ignoring problems, sometimes … [Read More]

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World

From the publisher’s website: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER, WITH OVER THREE MILLION COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD ‘Is it the world that’s busy, or my mind?’ The world moves fast, but that doesn’t mean we have to. In this timely guide to mindfulness, Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk born in Korea and educated in the United … [Read More]

The Korean Tradition of Religion, Society, and Ethics: A Comparative and Historical Self-understanding and Looking Beyond

From the publisher’s website: By making Korea a central part of comparative history of East Asian religion and society, this book traces the evolution of Korean religion from the oldest representation to that of the current day by utilizing wide-ranging interdisciplinary and comparative resources. This book presents a holistic view of the enduring religious tradition … [Read More]

Philosophy of the Nest

In Philosophy of the Nest, eminent Korean philosopher and poet Park Ynhui encapsulates decades of scholarship as he traces the world history of philosophy from his original perspective. The author, previously published in the West as Park Yee-mun, a nom de plume, follows an overarching vein in the history of philosophy and introduces readers to the meanings … [Read More]

Spirituality in Contemporary Art: The Idea of the Numinous

An important contribution to an emerging debate about the use and misuse of spirituality in contemporary aesthetics. Jungu Yoon opens up the discourse between Eastern and Western art and introduces the reader to a discussion of the impact of digital culture on aesthetics. Important reading for artists, practitioners and theorists alike, it also opens up … [Read More]

Cultural Blending In Korean Death Rites: New Interpretive Approaches

Cultural Blending in Korean Death Rites examines the cultural encounter of Confucianism and Christianity with particular reference to death rites in Korea. As its overarching interpretive framework, this book employs the idea of the ‘total social phenomenon’, a concept first introduced by the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss (1872-1950). From the perspective of the total social phenomenon, … [Read More]

Eastern Sentiments

From the publisher’s website: The Confucian gentleman scholars of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910) often published short anecdotes exemplifying their values and aesthetic concerns. In modern Seoul one scholar in particular would excel at adapting this style to a contemporary readership: Yi T’aejun. Yi T’aejun was a prolific and influential writer of colonial Korea and an … [Read More]

Korean Spirituality

Korea has one of the most dynamic and diverse religious cultures of any nation on earth. Koreans are highly religious, yet no single religious community enjoys dominance. Buddhists share the Korean religious landscape with both Protestant and Catholic Christians as well as with shamans, Confucians, and practitioners of numerous new religions. As a result, Korea … [Read More]

Religions of Korea in Practice

From the publisher’s website: Korea has one of the most diverse religious cultures in the world today, with a range and breadth of religious practice virtually unrivaled by any other country. This volume in the Princeton Readings in Religions series is the first anthology in any language, including Korean, to bring together a comprehensive set … [Read More]

East and West: Fusion of Horizons

In East and West: Fusion of Horizons, Kwang-Sae Lee seeks to find and develop themes of mutual resonance in Eastern and Western thoughts, trying to interpret across boundaries of culture and age. The book discusses some general “methodological problems” pertaining to the “Meeting of East and West,” Confucianism and Kantian moral philosophy, Heidegger, Wittgenstein and … [Read More]