London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Korean wave: growing or receding?

It was the last seminar of the winter term. With the title of Contemporary Korean popular culture, Kim Shin Dong’s talk was sure to be well-attended. The SOAS Korean Society had mobilised in force for the occasion, and were selling kimbap outside the lecture room. It was a pity, then, that the lecture itself on … [Read More]

Kaesong: ancient book-keepers, modern traders

It was a very tantalising lecture. Dr Lewis and his co-authors had been given jpeg images of 18th-century accounting records from Kaesong by a shadowy intermediary. The agent hoped that having seen some quality goods, representing a very small portion of a set of books and records, the academics would fork out hard cash for … [Read More]

Lecture – Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern

To coincide with the current exhibition at the KCC, Korean Painting and Craft Art: Creations from Tradition, there’s a special lecture on 2 December. We are delighted to invite you our special lecture, “Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern”, on 2nd of December 2008. The lecturer, Professor Pak Youngsook received PhD from Heidelberg University and taught … [Read More]

Capitalism in old Kaesong

As the North threatens to take steps to shut down its capitalist venture with the South in the Kaesong industrial complex, there’s a timely historical seminar at SOAS this Friday, 28 November. Oxford’s Dr James B Lewis looks at evidence of pre-modern capitalism in old Kaesong. The official title of the seminar: “Korean merchant double-entry … [Read More]

Kim Ji-woon in London: bigger, faster

Following a screening of The Good, the Bad and the Weird, director Kim Ji-woon discussed influences, genre experimentation and working with stars in a lively Q&A chaired by Tony Rayns. Entertaining and informative, the session offered valuable insight into Kim’s creative process and Korean cinema’s growing UK audience. [Read More]

Two Friday seminars: Human cloning and Korean security

Two opportunities for free seminars this Friday: lunchtime at Chatham House with Ambassador Chun, and early evening at SOAS. First, details of the Chatham House talk: Chatham House Korea Discussion Group Friday 14 November, 12.30-14.00 Lunch: 12.00 (£10 charge) Korea: Update on the Security and Economic Situation SPEAKER: Ambassador Chun Yung-woo, Embassy of the Republic … [Read More]

Live Music Versus Audio Tourism

Keith Howard gives his inaugural lecture as Professor of Music at SOAS on Tuesday: Live Music Versus Audio Tourism: world music and the changing music industry Inaugural Lecture by Professor Keith Howard (SOAS) 11 November 2008, 5.30pm,Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS Chair: Professor Jonathan Stock, University of Sheffield Professor Paul Webley, Director and Principal of … [Read More]

Blight, Hope and Photoshop

“This is not a Korean exhibition” announced Lee Chan-Buom, Director of the Cultural Cooperation Division of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as he introduced the panellists at a fascinating discussion to coincide with the “Blight and Hope” exhibition at the KCC. With sponsorship from the British Council and the UNDP, there was to … [Read More]

The Birth of the YKABs (Young Korean Artists in Britain)!

‘4482: Korean Contemporary Artists London’ exhibition, 16th – 19th October. Seminar, ‘How to promote Korean Art Abroad,’ 18th October 2008. Both at Bargehouse, Southwark. Report by Beccy Kennedy Take forty contemporary artists, a fervent independent curator, an unexpected art space, four floors of art works in throngs of media and genres, and a thriving spot … [Read More]

A week is a long time in … Korean economics

By Peter Corbishley Given the present economic world order, last week was an opportune time for an update on Korean peninsular economics. First Aidan Foster Carter tells BAKS that in August President Lee Myung-bak’s military banned “Bad Samaritans,” by Chang Ha-joon, an economics professor at the University of Cambridge, for being un-Korean. Then on the … [Read More]

Autumn seminar series at SOAS

The Autumn seminar series at SOAS has been announced. The talks are scheduled for 5pm and regularly take place in room G52 of the main SOAS building. They are open to the public – no booking is required. Friday, October 17 Prof. Rüdiger Frank, University of Vienna “Transformation of State Socialism in East Asia: The … [Read More]

Korea Yearbook 2009 Call for Papers

The editors of the Korea Yearbook – Politics, Economy, Society, published since 2007 by Brill (Leiden and Boston), are now calling for papers for the 2009 edition of the yearbook. The Korea Yearbook consists, on the one hand, of four concise overviews of domestic and external affairs of the two Koreas and, on the other … [Read More]

KCC talk: Images of Korean Women

A reminder of the upcoming lecture at the KCC, Wednesday 24 September. Lecture Title: The Image of Korean Women based on the Tale of Chunhyang Date / Time: 24th September 2008, 18:30-19:30 Lecturer: Prof LIM Jeong Taeg (Director, Institute of Media Arts, Yonsei Univ.) A Tale of Chunhyang: 13th Century, young Mongryong, Namwan Province’s governor’s … [Read More]