Well almost. According to the BBC, Koshik the elephant has learnt to imitate human speech and can say five words in Korean: hello, no, sit down, lie down and good. The zoo animal places the tip of his trunk into his mouth to transform his natural low rumble into a convincing impression of a human … [Read More]
Category: Language & Learning (page 55)
PSY’s Oxford talk confirmed for 7 November – members only
It’s going to be popular, so tickets (for which only members of the Oxford Union Society are eligible) will be allocated by random ballot. Maybe someone will sneak in a video camera and we’ll see it on YouTube in due course. Maybe I should have joined up when I had the chance. Details on the … [Read More]
LSE Korea Economic and Political Forum 2012
An all-day event coming up on 24 November at LSE. Registration is required via the LSE Students Union Korean Society website. Korea Economic and Political Forum 2012 Continuing from the last year’s success, on 24th November 2012, LSESU Korean Society is proud to present LSESU Korean Society Korean Economic and Political Forum : “Korea in … [Read More]
Ko Un: Poet in the City — Korea’s greatest living poet in East Anglia, London and Oxford
A rare appearance in the UK of the poet who has come closest to winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, but never quite made it. Ko Un will be appearing at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival on 3-4 November, in London on 5 November, Oxford on 6 November and Cambridge on 8 November. (Could he be … [Read More]
Which is bigger: Gangnam Style or Dokdo?
There’s been an awful lot of Korean stuff going on this year. In the UK, All Eyes on Korea, Korea putting up a good showing in the Olympics, Im Kwon Taek in town, Lee Byung hun and BIGBANG coming soon, a huge art show at the Saatchi… and everywhere you turn there’s a certain rapper … [Read More]
Korea’s Place in the World: Now and Twenty Years Hence. BAKS 2012 conference at SOAS
The annual BAKS conference is always a ridiculously cheap and thought-provoking day, and it never seems long enough. It is of course compulsory. See you there. British Association for Korean Studies Annual Symposium: Korea’s Place in the World: Now and Twenty Years Hence On 17 November 2012 Presenters will discuss fields of urbanisation, demography, and … [Read More]
Korea – the Amsterdam of Asia?
We’ve heard of the Koreans being the Irish of Asia. But in a recent video video interview in the Wall Street Journal World Bank president Jim Yong Kim says that “Koreans have expressly said they want to be the Amsterdam of Asia.” To many, that would mean Korea wants to legalise certain narcotic substances – … [Read More]
SOAS public workshop: State Capitalism and Development in East Asia
A free all-day seminar sponsored by the Centre of Korean Studies at SOAS: State Capitalism and Development in East Asia Speakers Jeong Seongjin (Gyeongsang National University) Lee Jeong-koo (GNU) Gareth Dale (Brunel University) Jamie Allinson (University of Westminster) Owen Miller (SOAS, University of London) Tuesday, 6 November 2012, 10am-5pm Room B111, First Floor, Brunei Gallery, … [Read More]
Aidan Foster-Carter on North Korea: Shouvik Datta reports from the recent LSE talk
Aidan Foster-Carter is an Honorary Research Fellow at Leeds University in Sociology and Social Policy, writes about Korea for the Economist Intelligence Unit and Oxford Analytica and contributed to ‘Exploring North Korean Arts’ (published 2011). I was therefore very interested when he came down from the major university in the North of England, to talk … [Read More]
Vladimir Tikhonov at SOAS: “Heroes” in Qing China and Korea late C19 / early C20
The second of the autumn series of Korean studies seminars at SOAS: “Heroes” in Qing China and Korea in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century Vladimir Tikhonov (Oslo University) Date: 19 October 2012 Time: 5:15 PM Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings Room: G50 Abstract Both Liang Qichao (1873-1929) and Sin Ch’aeho (1880-1936) were instrumental … [Read More]
Dokdo, Historical Awareness, and Korea-Japan Relations
I do like a good argument. I remember a couple of years ago a Japanese diplomat gave a very informative talk at Chatham House about Korea-Japan relations. But there was a Korean in the audience with strong views and the Q&A degenerated into a heated debate about Dokdo. There’s been rather too much in the … [Read More]
Mosaic Films launch their new project: Nothing to Envy – the animation
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTH KOREA? An event hosted by Mosaic Films to launch their new project Nothing to Envy Friday, 5 October 2012 from 18:30 to 21:30 (BST) London, United Kingdom We are developing an animated feature film about real lives in North Korea, to be written and directed … [Read More]
The Korean War, To the Starry Island and Spring in my Hometown – Dr Andrew Jackson opens the season of SOAS seminars for the Autumn
The autumn season of Korean studies seminar starts on Friday 12 October with: The Korean War, To the Starry Island and Spring in my Hometown Dr Andrew David Jackson (SOAS, University of London) Date: 12 October 2012 Time: 5:15 PM Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings Room: G50 Abstract Pak Kwangsu’s To the Starry Island (Kŭ … [Read More]
Aidan Foster-Carter on the Demise of Kim Jong-il
Can’t be bothered to keep up with all the differing speculations as to whether Kim Jong-un is a reformer or not? Fortunately, you can take a short cut by listening to Aidan Foster-Carter at the LSE. As you will know, he is always an engaging and informative speaker – and not afraid to express his … [Read More]
Speed Date with Korean Artists
An interesting upcoming event at Chelsea College of Art & Design. Given LKL’s talk on this subject back in 2009, this is an event we wholeheartedly support. Speed Date with Korean Artists in the context of THE SHOW MUST GO ON 27 September 2012, 5pm – 7pm Venue: Lecture Theater | Chelsea College of Art … [Read More]
Kkokdu – a cortege’s colourful attendants
Accompanying the KCC’s exhibition of Korean funerary figures, Charlotte Horlyck gave a helpful lecture providing some historical background and context to these colourful wooden characters. The talk was particularly valuable as the introduction provided by the director of the Kkokdu Museum a few weeks previously had lacked much content. While generally admitting that not much … [Read More]