We’ve already posted about the artists being shown by Hanmi Gallery (Projects space, stand 9: Kim Chang-kyum and Mioon) and by CAIS / Skipwiths (Main hall, stand 35: Choi So-young, Chun Kwang-young, Chung Doo-hwa, Kim Ha-young, Lah Sun-young and Park Hyo-jin). In addition to those galleries, Shine Artists (Main hall, stand G25) will be showing … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 16)
The Doctor Who World Tour in Korea
BBC3 have just put out a short programme (the sort of thing you get as an added extra in a DVD boxed set) featuring the World Tour that took place in August 2014 to launch Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. There’s about 4 minutes of footage of their stopover in Seoul, around 13 minutes … [Read More]
Unsuk Chin’s Piano Etudes committed to disk
The fiendishly difficult Etudes by Unsuk Chin have been recorded by British pianist Clare Hammond in a disc sponsored by the British Korean Society. It will be released by BIS Records on 2 February and there is a launch event (including a short recital of works from the CD) at the Guildhall School of Music … [Read More]
Daewoo, Hyundai and Samsung battle to build the biggest ships
Only two years ago there was the naming ceremony for the world’s largest container ship, the Maersk Triple E built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. At 398m long and with a capacity of 18,270 twenty-foot equivalent containers, the ship had its own website, www.worldslargestship.com. Two days ago, the newest largest container ship, the CSCL … [Read More]
Commentary on The Interview
LKL has been an Interview-free zone, mainly for the reason that we always thought that the film was not a very good idea. But for the sake of pulling together in one place the links to the most interesting commentary on the film, the two best quotes, in the two most interesting articles, come from … [Read More]
I suppose I’ve got to read this, but what a tacky cover!
Oh dear. The story of Shin Sang-ok’s and Choi Eun-hee’s sojourn in North Korea is a compelling one, regardless of whether you think there was compulsion involved. And a book covering film in North Korea is welcome, though Johannes Schönherr has already covered the ground. But do you have to make the book look so … [Read More]
A Korean folk-art inspiration for Abba costume?
Burning issue of 2015: was Frida from Abba’s 1975 Owe Sandström designed cat costume inspired by this Korean 민화 (‘minhwa’, folk art) tiger painting? A lengthy Google trawl revealed nothing conclusive. The Abba museum in Stockholm replicates the design on mugs, t shirts and keyrings but to me they look like souvenirs from Insadong. You … [Read More]
Dulsori in Evelyn Glennie’s Songlines playlist
I’ve just belatedly been going through my recent purchases of Songlines magazine, the world music publication which gave Hyelim Kim a 4-star review this time last year. I spotted that their October 2014 edition featured a playlist recommended by Evelyn Glennie – of which the first track was by the Korean percussion group Dulsori: Drum … [Read More]
Chaebols muscle in on craft beer
There’s an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal’s Korean blog about the improvement in South Korea’s beer scene since the relaxation of rules which prohibited you from selling beer unless you were one of the big boys. But the small brewers are now facing competition from a craft beer pub set up by one … [Read More]
Meet the Met’s Korean Community Engagement Officer
Theatre 4 All’s Radio Bang is a regular internet radio broadcast focusing on the Korean community in New Malden and Kingston. Shin Bona and Hwang Sumin do valuable work in building bridges between the Koreans and non-Koreans. In this broadcast, they chat with Glenna De Bosco, the Korean Engagement Officer for the Metropolitan Police. Radio … [Read More]
Top 10 restaurants in Seocho and Gangnam
I try to avoid Gangnam and Seocho if I possibly can, other than as the location of the Nambu bus terminal. But at least now if I do get stuck there The Culture Trip has provided a list of the top 10 restaurants in the area. [Read More]
UN General Assembly passes resolution on DPRK Human Rights
On 18 December the UN General Assembly passed its resolution condemning the DPRK’s Human Rights record by 116 votes to 20, with 53 abstentions. China voted against. Here are the links to the relevant documents UN Press release Official record of the meeting Full text of the resolution [Read More]
The 41st London Open Baduk Congress
Ever been interested in finding out what Go / Baduk is all about? If you’re around in London later this month, that’s your chance. If you play, you can register to participate. Or you can just go along to watch. 41st London Open Go Congress 2014 28th – 31st December 2014, International Students House 229 … [Read More]
UK Foreign Office trains DPRK journalists
According to today’s Sunday Express, A group of 46 North Korean “journalists” are on a UK study course in media skills funded by the Foreign Office… Lord Alton of Liverpool, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, accused the Foreign Office of “investing in people who are official mouthpieces of the regime”…The Foreign … [Read More]
North Korea Freedom Week – programme of events
Attached is a full programme of events for North Korea Freedom Week. Here is an introduction to the week, from Kim Joo-il: North Korea Freedom Week in Europe 2014 8-14 December On 18 November, the UN General Assembly Third Committee passed a resolution condemning North Korea for its systematic and widespread human rights violations. The … [Read More]
Joo Yeon Sir wins Karl Jenkins music performance prize
Congratulations to Joo Yeon Sir for winning The Arts Club Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award in association with Classic FM (and a cheque for £4,000). Joo Yeon will now record a piece of her choice and a short work composed especially by Karl Jenkins, both of which will be broadcast on Classic FM Read more … [Read More]