For those who haven’t come across this yet: a project by some bold Kiwis to travel the length of the Korean peninsula, from Baekdusan to Hallasan, by motorbike. The journey took place this summer. Here’s a quick (12 minute) podcast they produced just after they crossed the DMZ into South Korea. Here are the blog … [Read More]
Category: Living abroad (page 6)
Local Foreigners’ Story: Souvenirs from Seoul Exhibition
An interesting exhibition coming up at Goldsmiths focusing on non-Koreans’ impressions of Seoul: ‘Local Foreigners’ Story’: Souvenirs from Seoul Today, we travel to countries all over the world with great ease. When we begin living outside our usual environment we become foreigners, engaging with our surroundings in new ways depending on where we are, but … [Read More]
John Stark’s shamanistic “Field Work” on show in Milan
John Stark, a British artist based in South Korea, currently has an exhibition in Milan. His paintings are based on his experiences travelling around many of the remote areas of South Korea and exploring the folk culture and landscape – particularly in Yeongyang County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the site of Ilwol san (“The Haunted Mountain”), which is … [Read More]
A new trend in Korean-speaking Brits?
As an inspiration to the many British Koreaphiles out there who don’t speak the language, look no further than X-factor winners Little Mix. According to the Chosun Ilbo, a contestant performing a cover version of their song Wings on K-pop Star prompted them to release their own Korean version: Rather more proficient is 영국남자 or … [Read More]
Central St Martins graduate featured in Joongang Ilbo
There’s a nice feature in today’s Joongang Ilbo on the London-based Korean fashion designer Lee Jung-sun of J. JS Lee, who has an MA from Central St Martins. Her collections are known for their clean and androgynous lines. Links: www.jsleelondon.com | @Jackiejslee Fashion’s rising star focuses designs on ‘cleanism’, Lee Do-eun, Joongang Ilbo, 6 August … [Read More]
Min-jin Kym gets her Strad back
Nearly three years after it was stolen, and a few months after a false alarm in which people thought it had turned up in the possession of a Bulgarian gypsy, Korean violinist Min-jin Kym is reunited with her Stradivarius. Great news. Links: Missing Stradivarius found, BBC, 30 July 2013 Famed Stradivarius violin owned by Min-Jin … [Read More]
Twinsters book deal announced
That sure is fast work: Twinsters Sam Futurman and Anais Bordier have signed a deal for the book of the film – and the film isn’t even made yet. According to AP, Penguin’s US affiliate G.P Putnam’s Sons will be publishing the memoir, which will be coming out in late 2014 – in time for … [Read More]
Kahoidong gets a Royal Visitor
HRH the Duke of Gloucester has been in Seoul representing the Queen for the formalities which mark the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire on 27 July. With Ambassador Wightman and the veterans minister Mark Francois he met with President Park Geun-hye, who said she was looking forward to her state visit to the … [Read More]
Kim Joo-il interview: a defector reflects on life in the North and on cinematic realities
Kim Joo-il reflects on his defection from North Korea and critiques South Korean cinema’s “distorted” portrayals of the North. He details the absence of concepts like “human rights” under state brainwashing, advocates for refugee status for defectors in China, and describes North Korean film as a tool for regime-led propaganda and psychological indoctrination. [Read More]
Twinsters – what a compelling story
On February 21, 2013, Samantha, an American actor living in Los Angeles, received a message via Facebook that would drastically change her life. It was from Anaïs, a French fashion design student living in London. Anaïs’ friends viewed a YouTube video featuring Samantha. They were immediately blown away by the identical appearance of Samantha & … [Read More]
Ten years of The Marmot
There’s a nice feature on Robert Koehler of The Marmot’s Hole in the Joongang Ilbo (along with a couple of other bloggers too), marking 10 years of the blog’s existence. Here’s to the next ten. Links: Korea by blog – Creating an expat blogosphere, Korea JoongAng Daily, March 19, 2013 [Read More]
Kim Young-ha: Black Flower – an imaginative re-telling of a fascinating byway of Korean history
Kim Young-ha: Black Flower Originally published in Korean as 검은 꽃 in 2003 This edition Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2012, 305pp, Translated by Charles La Shure Black Flower tells the fascinating story of a thousand or so Korean emigrants who sailed from Jemulpo (now Incheon) in 1905 in search of jobs in Mexico, and ended up … [Read More]
Choi Eudon featured in London Fashion Week
It’s nice to see Choi Eudon featured in London Fashion Week’s Daily newspaper (16 February issue), with his Doctor Zhivago inspired Autumn / Winter 2013 collection. Choi’s star has been rising since he showed some of his designs at the KCC’s Crossfields show in 2009, with Lady Gaga reported to be among his fans. There’s … [Read More]
Happy 150th Birthday, James Scarth Gale
James Scarth Gale – missionary, translator, and one of the founders of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch – was born 150 years ago on 19 February 1863. His birthday has been marked by an upgraded Wikipedia page, a special page with photos on Brother Anthony’s site, and a memorial service at Yeondong Church (which … [Read More]
No Artificial Flavour: an upcoming online gallery for Korean artists and designers
At LKL we hadn’t realised, until Hanmi Gallery drew our attention to it in December, that the vitality of the London Korean art scene had been dealt a damaging blow by the closure of the Tier 1 (Post-study work) Visa to new applicants from 6 April 2012, which pretty much means that overseas students have … [Read More]
Yonhap feature on living in New Malden
Very interesting feature on the Koreans of New Malden, by Niels Footman of Yonhap. Two contrasting quotes set the scene: Two years ago, at a meeting of the Kingston Racial Equality Council … the incumbent member of parliament Ed Davey said that because much of the Korean population is transitory, “they feel less of a … [Read More]