When General Yi Song-gye founded the Joseon dynasty and moved Korea’s capital to Seoul, he needed a palace of suitable magnificence. The Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) was carefully sited by the royal geomancers to benefit from the perfect Pung Su (풍수), and at its southernmost point, in direct alignment with the main throne room, the Gwanghwamun (광화문 … [Read More]
Category: Language & Learning (page 68)
Two seminars at SOAS
This week SOAS Centre of Korean Studies offers a double-helping of seminars: Thursday March 19th, 5pm, **ROOM 459** Prof. Nam-lin Hur (The University of British Columbia): “Military Duty in Late Sixteenth-Century Chosŏn Korea: A System for Everything but Defense?” Friday March 20th, 5pm, ROOM G52 Dr. Howard Reid (West Park Pictures Ltd): “The History of … [Read More]
Korean history lecture at Senate House
Somewhat late notice of a lecture on a very particular aspect of early 20th century Korean history, at the Senate House on Thursday 12 March. Free. Institute of Historical Research, Comparative Histories of Asia Seminar: “The Print Industry in Early Modern Seoul and Pyongyang” Dr Michael D. Shin (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, … [Read More]
Learn Korean in a London pub
Want to learn Korean in a fun and informal environment? You couldn’t do better than locate your classroom in the back room of a London boozer. For a while, the Korean Language Meetup Group has been convening occasionally at the Korean-owned Old Justice pub in Bermondsey for socialising, singing and eating. But maybe not enough … [Read More]
Free SOAS lecture – the Confucian Spirit of ethical practicality
Here are the details of Friday’s free evening seminar at SOAS at 5pm in G52 Dr. KIM Daeyeol (INALCO, Paris): Reviving the Confucian spirit of ethical practicality: Tasan’s notions of “human nature” (性) and “heart-mind” (心) Further information about the seminar and the speaker are as follows: One of the representative figures from the late … [Read More]
Henry’s War – an illustrated talk on early 20th Century Korea
A talk on Korean History in the early 20th century by Mr Patrick Cockburn of the Independent Newspaper Tuesday 10 March 2009 18:00-19:00 at the KCCUK Links: Henry’s war: One man’s fight against rendition, Patrick Cockburn, Independent, Thursday 6 December 2007 [Read More]
An introduction to Hangeul – part 2
By Matthew Jackson. Despite the technical merits of Hangeul, it is hard to get beyond the fact that it is, after all, just a phonetic alphabet, albeit a unique one. As with other treasures of Korea, the real value of Hangeul lies in the story behind it. Its creator, King Sejong the Great, worked very … [Read More]
Mudang and minhwa
When we think of pre-modern Korean aesthetics, we think of the restrained tones of Koryo celadon, of the austere white of Choson porcelain, the subdued tones of Chong Son’s landscape paintings. But, as Charlotte Horlyck reminded us in her introduction to the informative day of decorative arts and folk customs at SOAS, that is only … [Read More]
An introduction to Hangeul – part 1
By Matthew Jackson. I heard a few years ago there was a plan to make Hangeul (1) Korea’s National Treasure No.1. Given that there are a number of candidates for this position, I was puzzled, although aware that Hangeul’s technical merits are not disputed in the world of linguistics. John Man, for example, in his … [Read More]
The BKVA annual report 2008
With the kind permission of Colonel GM Gadd OBE, National Chairman of the British Korean Veterans Association, we reproduce here the annual report of the BKVA’s activities, as presented to the annual general meeting of the Anglo-Korean Society last week. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ANGLO-KOREAN SOCIETY HELD AT THE KOREAN … [Read More]
Free Study Day: Decorative Arts & Folk Customs of Korea
Later this month, SOAS will join with the British Museum to host an event on the Decorative Arts and Folk Customs of Korea. A day-long workshop will focus on Korean folk art and culture of the late Choson dynasty (AD1392-1910), highlighting aspects of Korea’s past, which are often overlooked. In focusing on decorative arts, the … [Read More]
The wave that never was? Mark James Russell’s Pop Goes Korea
Eighteen months ago, Mark Russell caused a minor stir at Naver and in the local Korean press by christening the hallyu the “Zombie Wave”. At the time, industry watchers were concerned that the momentum behind the overseas success of some of Korea’s TV dramas and movie seemed to be waning. Was the Korean wave dying? … [Read More]
A North Korean Feelgood Lecture
By Peter Corbishley The first of the Spring Term SOAS Lectures heard Nicolas Bonner (right) talking to extracts from his and Daniel Gordon’s three films on North Korea: The Game of their Lives (2002), A State of Mind (2004), Crossing the Line / 푸른 눈의 평양시민 / A Blue-Eyed Pyongyang Citizen (2006). The often almost … [Read More]
Nick Bonner – Filming North Korea
The SOAS spring seminar series kicks off this Friday, 16 January, with a talk by Nick Bonner, founder of Koryo Tours and collaborator with Daniel Gordon on three fascinating documentaries on North Korea, showing a very different side from the picture we see from reading the newspapers. The seminar will take place at 5pm in … [Read More]
SOAS Spring Term free seminars
Here’s a list of Seminars and Lectures organised by the SOAS Centre of Korean Studies for Term 2 – 2009 The first seminar of the term is as follows: Date: Friday, January 16, 5pm Speaker: Nick Bonner, Filmmaker and founder of Koryo Tours Title: “Filming North Korea” Room: G52 Time: 5pm Contact: Jaehoon Yeon (jy1 … [Read More]
Inlaying techniques in Korean craft
Peter Corbishley digests the discussion on Korean crafts at the KCC on 2 Dec Korean porcelain, jewellery, religious artefacts and patchwork is distinguished by inlay using different materials. While inlay techniques might be a common feature of Korean crafts, however, they are not uniquely Korean. The techniques of jewellery making, for example, may well not … [Read More]