A two-page spread on London’s K-pop scene in London’s evening freesheet today, with a trailer on the masthead. Someone’s being doing some heavy PR. http://t.co/8tgd2x2y [Read More]
Category: Language & Learning (page 59)
Creating Impressions of Colonial Korea: The Role Played by the Japan Society and its Membership, 1910-1939
The Japan Society is holding a talk on 17 October which may be of interest to Koreanists: Creating Impressions of Colonial Korea: The Role Played by the Japan Society and its Membership, 1910-1939 Susan House Wade, Independent Author and Lecturer Monday, 17th October 2011 6.45 pm The Oriental Club Stratford House 11 Stratford Place London … [Read More]
How Korean Pop Conquered Japan
How Korean Pop Conquered Japan: K-Pop groups look and act like real adults, whereas J-Pop outfits often emphasize adolescent cuteness, says Patrick St. Michel in The Atlantic. [Read More]
Festival visit: Gaksi, Mago
In Korean mytholoogy there is a legendary grandmother figure, a giant goddess who created islands and arranged the mountains and the oceans in their proper positions. In Jeju Island, she is known as Seolmundae Halmang – Grandmother Seolmundae; elsewhere in Korea she is known as Mago. The stories about her are sometimes comic, sometimes tragic. … [Read More]
Formula 1 Fan Forum with Mark Blundell
To mark the second Korean Grand Prix coming up in October, the KCC will be holding a Formula 1 event on 5 September. This is the first Global Korea event related to sports, and should draw in a diverse audience. F1 Fan Forum Hosted by Former F1 Driver and Le Mans 24hrs Winner Mark Blundell … [Read More]
RIP Richard Rutt
RIP Richard Rutt (27 August 1925 – 27 July 2011), Roman Catholic priest, former Anglican bishop, sometime RASKB president, and pioneer in Korean studies. Tributes by Brother Anthony in the Korea Times and William Pore at H-net, with partial bibliography. [Read More]
The lengths to which people go to speak a language better
We knew Korean kids had tongue operations to speak English better; now an English girl has done it to improve her Korean pronunciation: http://bit.ly/q6lTm4 # [Read More]
The Nomad Artist in a Transnational Era: Korean Contemporary Art on British Soil
Looks like an interesting afternoon coming up at the KCC on Friday afternoon, 1 July. RSVP to [email protected] The Nomad Artist in a Transnational Era: Korean Contemporary Art on British Soil. Ever since the early 1960s when the term ‘globalization’ was coined there have been stormy discussions especially since the early 1990s. By now, the … [Read More]
Pororo and the Axis of Evil
Pororo and the Axis of Evil: the South Korean animation industry outsources work north of the border. And it might get Pororo banned in the US. WSJ and Chosun. #. The creators of Green Days told me no such outsourcing takes place now because of strained North-South relations. [Read More]
SHINee Happy People: fans turn out in force to greet their favourite K-pop band
Saharial joins the Shawols in Abbey Road and catches a glimpse of SMTown’s boy band. Abbey Road at 7.45am lies unsuspecting in the morning sunshine of the hundreds of kpop fans that will swarm the area in support of SHINee who are performing “Japan Debut Premium Reception in London“ (http://youtu.be/codeksErVqU) – a live streamed concert … [Read More]
Abstracts: Korean Buddhists Arts of the Koryŏ and Chosŏn Kingdoms
Here are the abstracts for the series of talks on Korean Buddhist arts at SOAS on 19 May 2011: Gyeongwon Choe (Kansas University) Marginalised yet Devoted: Buddhist Paintings Commissioned by Nuns of the Early Joseon Palace Cloisters This lecture examines the three extant Buddhist paintings commissioned by Buddhist nuns in the palace cloisters of the … [Read More]
Liberte, egalite, Super Junior..France rally for K-Pop concert extension
There seems to be a close cultural link between France and Korea, which I have always suspected is partly to do the fact that both countries take food very seriously indeed. The popularity of K-pop is a phenomenon very much in train in Asia, but up to now not so obvious in Europe. The upcoming … [Read More]
2011 Travel Diary day 7: Baek Un-cheol and Seolmundae Halmang: a lifetime’s obsession with stones and their stories
Jeju Stone Park, Friday 6 May 2011. “I fell in love with Seolmundae Halmang, and now I can’t love any other woman” says Baek Un-cheol, honorary director of Jeju Stone Park. Maybe it explains why he is single. No earthly woman can compete in his affections with the legendary earth mother and creator of Jejudo. … [Read More]
Korean Buddhists Arts of the Koryŏ and Chosŏn Kingdoms
Last year was court painting; the year before it was folk art. Now we move on to Buddhist art. Details of the full day seminar, with a behind-the-scenes look at artefacts in the British Museum, are below. Korean Buddhists Arts of the Koryŏ and Chosŏn Kingdoms 10am on Thursday, 19 May 2011 G3, Main Building, … [Read More]
Summer 2011 Korean studies seminars at SOAS
Two Friday evening seminars have been announced so far – see below. I’ve posted a brief review of Chris Springer’s book here. Date: Friday, 6 May 2011 Time: 17.00-19.00 Title: Representations of colonial Korea in print and in visual imagery Speaker: Dr Susan House Wade (University of Brighton) Venue: Room G50, Ground Floor, Main Building … [Read More]
Are the six party talks a waste of time? Pyongyang won’t give up its nukes, says Choe Tae Bok
We all have our private thoughts on that question. The Chatham House talk this week (29 March) by Choe Tae Bok, Speaker of the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly, was off the record, so I have not reported anything specific from the event. But given the timing of the visit, coinciding with the implementation of … [Read More]