London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

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Selected publications

  • Booklist: Hallyu (72 titles)
    • Korean Language & Culture Course Launch Party

      This is a course and an organisation we haven’t come across before. Launch event is free, but there’s no indication of the pricing for the course itself. Launch Party for Korean Language & Culture Course Venue: European School Of Economics | 4 Mandeville Place | London W1U 2BG Friday 22 March 2019, 18:00 – 20:00 … [Read More]

      15th K-pop Academy announces its programme

      The Application Window for the 15th K-pop Academy is open from 16 January to 6 February 2019. Don’t miss your chance to join this ever-popular programme: The 15th K-Pop Academy Date: 16 February – 27 April (10 weeks) Time: Every Saturday afternoon Venues: Korean Cultural Centre UK and various off-site venues Tuition Fee: Free This … [Read More]

      Radio Kimchi Kpop fair

      Radio Kimchi UK hosts what is said to be the UK’S only K-Pop radio show from their base in Kingston / New Malden. This is their first major physical event. Stay up to date by checking out the event’s Facebook page K-POP Fair 2018 Sun 25th Nov at 2:00pm – 5:30pm O2 Academy | Islington … [Read More]

      The Top 5 Gothic KPOP Music Videos

      Dr Colette Balmain applies her specialism in Gothic Cinema to the world of KPOP – perfect for the Halloween season… ‘Gothic forces its readers, viewers, and listeners to identify the ghosts that haunt them…’ (Isabella van Elferan, 2012, Gothic Music, p. 15). 1. SHINee “Married to the Music” (2015) “Married to the Music” doesn’t sound … [Read More]

      BTS’s busy couple of weeks

      It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Korea’s biggest band: A speech for UNICEF at the United Nations on 24 September. The speech, by the band’s leader Kim Namjun (aka RM), ended as follows: Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many … [Read More]

      The end of the journey: desire, recognition and redemption in BTS’s “IDOL”

      Dr Colette Balmain examines the culmination of the BTS Love Yourself series: “IDOL” is the lead single from BTS’s final album in the “Love Yourself” series. The series comprises one extended storyworld music video, Love Yourself 起 Wonder; one mini album, Love Yourself 承 Her; one full length album, Love Yourself 轉 Tear; and one … [Read More]

      The Garden of the Forking Paths: Difference and Repetition in BTS “Epiphany”

      Dr Colette Balmain examines the BTS comeback trailer for Love Yourself 結 Answer: “Epiphany” is the comeback trailer for BTS’ last entry in the LOVE YOURSELF Series: Love Yourself 結 Answer. LOVE YOURSELF is a transmedia and multimedia project involving the expansion of the BTS Universe through the construction of a metafictional storyworld established by Music … [Read More]

      Artistry, Creativity & Emotionality: Choreographies of the self in “Fake Love”

      Dr Colette Balmain examines the lead single from BTS’s Love Yourself 轉 Tear: “Fake Love” is the lead single from BTS’ third studio album Love Yourself 轉 Tear (they have also released three Japanese studio albums, two repackages, five EPs and two single albums to date) and follows, both temporally and thematically, the comeback trailer “Singularity” … [Read More]

      Trajectories of Meaning in “Singularity” – the BTS Comeback Trailer: Love Yourself 轉 Tear

      Dr Colette Balmain analyses the comeback trailer for BTS’s third studio album: From Serendipity to Singularity: A Universe of Meaning “Singularity” is the comeback trailer for BTS’ third studio or full length album, Love Yourself: Tear which will be released on 18th May 2018. This follows up the mini album or EP, Love Yourself: Her … [Read More]

      BTS featured in BBC K-pop documentary

      Adele Roberts, who hosts BBC Radio 1’s Early Breakfast Show, thrilled UK K-pop followers and BTS Army members on 2 October 2017 when she played BTS for the first time on the BBC as part of a Best New Pop feature. That track, DNA, along with Mic Drop, have featured several times on the BBC … [Read More]

      Think Korea 2006 – an introduction

      Think Korea 2006 was an ambitious programme of cultural and other events organised by the Korean Embassy as part of the “Korea-UK Mutual Visit Year”. There was, I believe, a reciprocal series of UK-related events organised in Korea, but I never saw any publicity about it. One event I do know of: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra … [Read More]

      London Korean Festival 2006 – an introduction

      The London Korean Festival 2006 was the last of the festivals organised by Oh Tae-min and his team, which included Stephanie Seung-min Kim who would go on to be the first curator at the Korean Cultural Centre before moving into the art curatorial world on her own. Previously working from within the Korean Anglican Community … [Read More]

      Conference news: the 4th World Congress for Hallyu

      The 2016 World Hallyu Congress will take place at Oriel College, Oxford, 26-28 September. You can register to attend here. Students free, others $50 (plus accommodation). Draft timetable is below. Keep an eye on the conference website for updates. Time Harris Lecture Theatre Harris Room Sanders Room Monday Sep 26 14:00-18:00 Registration 18:00-20:00 Reception Dinner … [Read More]

      Event news: Korean Culture Day in Battersea

      A day of Korean cultural and networking at the Royal College of Art Battersea Campus. Find out more on the event’s Facebook Page. K-Culture Day Hosted by AskCulture and Inspire Me Korea Saturday 3 September 12:30–17:00 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN If you’d love to know more about Korea, we invite you to our Korean … [Read More]