The Korea Trade & Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) is hosting a seminar and exhibition, “Business Opportunities with Korea”, on 15th March 2016 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham city centre. “The UK is now Korea’s second largest trading partner in the EU, and this event offers clear and in-depth knowledge of the processes required … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 10)
Comfort Women deal protested at Ban Ki-moon speech
The Justice for ‘Comfort Women’ UK group held a quiet protest outside Westminster Central Hall yesterday as people filed in to listen to a talk by Ban Ki-moon. The dignified campaign continued inside: as Ban got up to speak, a protestor held up a sign demanding that the intergovernmental “deal” be annulled. Ban’s speech was targeted … [Read More]
“How Korea became fashion’s new fraternity”
Tonight’s Evening Standard page 27. I know I’m going to sound my age here but anyway… Dara from 2NE1 (right) looks fine. But would any of you turn up to an event dressed like G-Dragon (Big Bang) or CL (2NE1)? If anyone’s interested in reading it, it’s a brief puff piece on how Koreans are … [Read More]
Event news: Dok2 + The Quiett to perform at The Laundry
Tickets have been sold out for months but, for the archives, Dok2 + The Quiett are performing at The Laundry, 2-18 Warburton Rd, E8 3FN on 19 Feb from 8pm till late. If I remember right, this is Dok2’s second appearance in London. Links: Event’s Facebook page. Book tickets here. [Read More]
Event news: History 히스토리 to perform in Islington
K-pop fans will already have booked their tickets but, for the record, History’s (히스토리) UK debut is at the O2 Academy in Islington on 21 February. Tickets via Arpeggios Entertainment. More details on the event’s Facebook page. Here’s a taster: I can’t help feeling it’s rather like Stephen Colbert’s K-pop parody Talking in Korean… [Read More]
Event news: A Hard Day screens at the KCC
The KCCUK’s second screening of the year is A Hard Day. You’ll come out feeling exhausted, but it’s a great ride. We loved it. A Hard Day (끝까지 간다) Dir Kim Seong-hun, 2013, 111 mins 11 February, 2016 at 7pm, KCCUK Registration required via the KCC website On the way back from his mother’s funeral, … [Read More]
Event news: BKS Go Evening to celebrate Lunar New Year
Can’t believe the Lunar New Year is sneaking up on us so quickly. This year the New Year holiday in Korea is Monday – Wednesday 8-10 February, coinciding nicely with the start of Lent. The British Korean Society will be celebrating New Year on 9 Feb with a Baduk evening: Celebrate the Korean Lunar New … [Read More]
Event news: APPGNK on Sanctioning North Korea
Notice of a public event organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea: APPG Event: Sanctioning North Korea A talk with Andrea Berger (RUSI) and Maya Lester (Brick Court Chambers) 5pm, Monday 18th January Committee Room 11, Houses of Parliament The All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea invites you to attend an event titled, … [Read More]
Supporters of Comfort Women to protest outside Korean Embassy
When the BBC reported the “deal” between Japan and South Korea on the Comfort Women issue last week, saying that ‘South Korea says it will consider the matter resolved “finally and irreversibly” if Japan fulfills its promises,’ LKL marvelled that no mention was made of what the victims themselves thought about the deal. They don’t … [Read More]
Event news: Social Change in North Korea – Current Trends and Future Prospects
The Chatham House Asia programme seems to be beginning to turn its attention back to the Korean Peninsula after a gap of a couple of years: Social Change in North Korea: Current Trends and Future Prospects 8 Jan 2016 – 12:30 to 13:30 Registration required. Participants Sokeel Park, Director of Research & Strategy, Liberty in … [Read More]
The growing interest in Dansaekhwa
The Nation has an interesting piece by Barry Schwabsky on the recent growth in interest in Dansaekhwa in the States, pointing out that during November New York simultaneously hosted three solo shows by major artists: Chung Chang-sup at Gallerie Perrotin (3 Nov – 23 Dec) Yun Hyong-keun at Blum & Poe (30 Oct – 23 Dec) Ha Chong-hyun … [Read More]
Event news: APPG meeting and book introduction
Notice of an upcoming North Korea-related event: The All-Party Parliamentary Group will be hosting an open meeting on Monday 14th December. The event will serve two purposes. Firstly, to outline the Group’s recent business and its strategy for 2016. Secondly, to host Daniel Tudor (former Korea correspondent at the Economist) who will introduce his new … [Read More]
Brother Anthony awarded honorary MBE
Congratulations to Brother Anthony of Taizé for his honorary MBE, awarded by ambassador Charles Hay on 2 December at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul. The official citation reads as follows… Brother Seon Jae AN For services to the Royal Asiatic Society and to furthering the study of English Literature in Korea. …but equally we all … [Read More]
Another Korean Chopin expert…
All eyes are currently on Cho Seong-jin, winner of this year’s Chopin competition. But while we wait for the reviews of his debut Deutsche Grammophon release, let’s not forget other Korean pianists with an affinity for Chopin. In this months’s Grammophone one of the Editor’s Choices is a disk of Chopin preludes by Lim Dong-hyek: … [Read More]
Festival Film Review: The Classified File
As goodwill ambassador for Sancheong County, I was delighted when Sancheong’s most famous Buddhist monk, the late Seong Cheol sunim, got name checked in The Classified File as the Seon Master of the Buddhist-trained fortune teller who unofficially assisted the police in the real-life 1978 kidnap case that was the subject of the movie. One … [Read More]
CheeMc reviewed in The Observer
There’s an enthusiastic review of the fried chicken at CheeMc, 310 Walworth Road, London SE17 2TG (020 3645 0772) in this weekend’s Observer. “Without visiting Korea, it is impossible to tell how authentic CheeMc’s fried chicken is. No matter. It’s delicious…” HT to the Korean Class Massive [Read More]