You’re Invited to “Voices of Freedom”: An Evening of Reflection, Tribute, and Unity Join us for a profound journey through the stories of North Korean defectors and the forgotten POWs of the Korean War, hosted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council. This unique event weaves together inspiring lectures, a compelling documentary screening, and heartfelt performances … [Read More]
Category: Classes talks and seminars
Exploring Kew’s Economic Botany Collection through a Korean lens
Curator Erin Messenger will speak at Kew Gardens on “Exploring Kew’s Economic Botany Collection through a Korean lens” Erin’s role as Collections Manager for the Economic Botany Collection involves the general day-to-day care and management of around 120,000 useful plant-based objects. Whether that’s pest management, accessioning of new objects, handling loan and sampling requests or … [Read More]
Black Girl from Pyongyang: paperback launch event
Come along to Richmond Library on 16 January for the launch of the paperback release of Black Girl from Pyongyang by author Monica Macias and co-writer, Becky Branford. This remarkable memoir details the extraordinary true story of a West African girl’s upbringing in North Korea under the guardianship of President Kim Il Sung. Join Monica and her … [Read More]
SOAS seminar: Crackdowns and Containment: K-culture and markets in North Korea under Covid
In this talk, Peter Ward will present fresh research undertaken as part of a recent paper to be published by the Korean Development Institute (KDI) about the contrasting approaches that the North Korean regime is taking to consumption and distribution of foreign content compared to other markets in North Korea today. Utilizing a close reading … [Read More]
SOAS online seminar: Translating the Korean War and the national division: reconstruction of narratives in division fiction in Korea
The Korean War and the national division are important events when discussing Korea’s politics, society and culture. These events continue to affect every aspect of Koreans’ lives in modern Korean society from deep in their consciousness. Division fiction in Korea has been written to testify and remember the dark history of the Korean War and … [Read More]
Honouring Our Fallen: British Servicemen in the Korean War
Hear from former diplomat Martin Uden as he remembers the soldiers who served in Korea and are now buried at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan. Over 1,100 British servicemen died while fighting alongside UN forces in the Korean War, resisting the invasion by North Korea and the subsequent involvement of China. Over 880 of … [Read More]
Peace initiatives of the Moon Jae-in administration in Korea: their legacy
The Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics presents an informal lecture by Professor Jong Kun Choi, who will delve into his firsthand experiences during the period of 2017 to 2022 when the Moon Jae In Administration actively pursued peace making policies on the Korean Peninsula. This included negotiations with North Korea and facilitating the talks between the … [Read More]
Lunar New Year with Connect: North Korea
Connect: North Korea is hosting a Lunar New Year event with classical musician and North Korean escapee Emily Yeyoung to celebrate this very special holiday. Join us for drinks, canapés, Emily’s fantastic performance, and a Q&A about her journey from North Korea to the UK. There are only 25 tickets available for this event! Don’t … [Read More]
Chef Kwak Mikyung in conversation with Professor Jieun Kiaer
We are pleased to announce an in-person talk with chef Kwak Mikyung from the Pungseok Foundation and Professor Jieun Kiaer from University of Oxford about two 18th century scholar chefs. During the talk, we will discuss the lives of two scholar chefs from the Joseon era, Seo Yu-gu (1764-1845) and Bingheogak (1759-1824), the latter being … [Read More]
SOAS seminar: An Atomic Age Unleashed
This presentation explores the common culture of Cold War scientism and atomic developmentalism in early North and South Korea. While tens of thousands of Koreans were subject to the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, early peninsular analysis of the bombings rarely grappled with the existence of these individuals. The general exclusion of colonial subjects … [Read More]
Seminar: AI and Humanity
The KCC is pleased to announce an in-person talk about the AI and Humanity with Shinseungback Kimyounghun. The seminar will feature the media artist group, Shin Seung-baek and Kim Yong-hoon, who have been exploring and examining the direct impact of technology on human life and the essence of it. The artists will showcase their works … [Read More]
K-Art Now: Projections of Humanity — Artist Talk with Betty Kim
4482 has opened up opportunities for wider cultural exchange through its public event, ‘K-Art Now!’. The theme of 4482 [SASAPARI] this year is ‘People’, and we are pleased to invite you to join a special artist talk featuring the works of Betty Kim. Come and experience firsthand the creative vision and techniques behind her stunning … [Read More]
From Porcelain to Palaces – A Journey Through the Cultural Heritage of the Joseon Dynasty
This session explores the cultural heritage of the Joseon Dynasty – a time that witnessed the flourishing of the arts. The dynasty was built on Confucian teaching and this led to new iconographical traditions and aesthetic preferences. The royal family’s patronage of art gave rise to great cultural achievements, artistic innovation and technological advancement. This … [Read More]
Exploring Korea’s Sartorial Heritage Through Hanbok
In celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, this lecture highlights pivotal moments of cultural convergence, underlining the transformation of hanbok into an iconic emblem of Korean heritage since 1883. Hanbok, which used to be everyday wear for Koreans, has evolved significantly over time. Notably, the … [Read More]
Seminar: Drawing Action Heroes in the Digital Age
Wooh Nayoung is an illustrator known for painting western characters wearing hanbok, Korea’s traditional clothing and taking old Korean genre paintings and reinterpreting them with a modern twist. Due to popular demand, following Wooh Nayoung’s recent Q&A at Foyles, we will be presenting a whole K-Seminar with the illustrator at the Korean Cultural Centre UK. … [Read More]
SOAS-OKCHF Workshop on Korean collections in UK institutions
Join us for this workshop hosted by the School of Arts at SOAS. Museum curators, librarians, and academics will share their expertise in managing and utilizing Korean objects in their collections in UK institutions. They will also discuss the collecting histories and practices that have formed and shaped these collections. This workshop is part of … [Read More]