Ambassador John Everard, British Ambassador to North Korea from 2006-2008, delivers the 2013 Ra Jong-Yil Lecture in Korean Studies in the Umney Theatre, Robinson College, Tuesday 3 December, 5pm Inside North Korea – Life, Love, and The Leader Ambassador Everard will talk about his experiences there and about the lives both of the North Koreans … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 25)
Jieun Kim and the three Ws
Jason Verney of Native Nomad Pictures and miniminimovie.com has done a nice mini-documentary of Jieun Kim’s Serendipity exhibition and workshop at Mokspace in the early part of September this year: Check out Jason’s Vimeo channel here: http://vimeo.com/channels/jasonverney/ [Read More]
NLCS Jeju featured in the Telegraph
This week the Daily Telegraph featured the Jeju campus of North London Collegiate School: a piece of Stanmore in Seogwipo. The boarding school has now been running for two years. You can’t help but be inspired by the enjoyment, enthusiasm and confidence of the students, even though they are being taught in what, to them, … [Read More]
Na-Young Jeon to feature in Les Mis in West End
Not sure if this has been flagged up before, but the current production of Les Misérables has a Korean lead in Na-Young Jeon as Fantine. The first Korean lead role in a West End musical? I went last night and she was fantastic, as were the rest of the cast. Na-Yeong Jeon is scheduled for … [Read More]
President Park’s busy couple of days in London
A quick run-down of President Park’s activities in the UK last week. Itinerary provided by Buckingham Palace. Photos from the Blue House and the KCC. Tuesday, 5 November, 2013 Morning The President of the Republic of Korea is met privately by The Duke of York on behalf of The Queen. The Duke accompanies Her Excellency … [Read More]
North Korea – Life Inside the Secret State
To add to the steady stream of documentaries about North Korea, Channel 4’s Dispatches programme has just made one entitled North Korea – Life Inside the Secret State. It will be on the TV soon (though precisely when is not clear from the Channel 4 website), but if you can’t wait there’s a preview screening … [Read More]
Expo visit: Korean design and cultural contents at KBEE
The Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo which coincided with President Park’s State Visit showcased contemporary Korean media art, K-pop, Korea’s premier garden designer and more. Also featured were key Korean designers: Kim Young-se (김영세) of Innodesign, whose designs reference the sleek black parallel lines of the trigrams in South Korea’s national flag, or the elegant … [Read More]
The Japanese YouTube campaign on Dokdo
Wisely, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disabled comments on their Dokdo propaganda video uploaded to YouTube a few days ago. Because otherwise they’d be deluged with some pretty hostile feedback. And not just from angry Koreans. The map they provide is downright misleading. To a viewer who knows nothing, it seems perfectly reasonable … [Read More]
An Introduction to North Korean Children’s Literature
There’s fascinating insight into North Korean children’s literature by Christopher Richardson over on SinoNK. Do give the article a read. And then try Sonia Ryang’s excellent Reading North Korea which looks at adult literature and film in North Korea. That’s a book I’ve now read three times in the hope that I’ll get around to … [Read More]
The 2014 KCCUK Call for Curators
After the two 2013 exhibitions curated by guest curators, the KCCUK has again issued a call for curators to put on a show in the summer months of 2014. Full details can be found on the KCCUK website. The two exhibitions put on as a result of last year’s Call for Curators were The Hidden … [Read More]
Han Ki-chang to show at KBEE London
At the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo this week, alongside the group show – Crystallize – curated by Stephanie Seungmin Kim of Iskai Art, is a separate exhibition organised by the Korean Artist Project, who are participating in the Expo. The exhibition features work by Han Ki-Chang. According to Blouin Artinfo: Han … is characterized … [Read More]
Event news: Infinite to perform at Hammersmith Apollo
News of an upcoming K-pop concert: Infinite: One Great Step Eventim Apollo Hammersmith 27 November 2013, 7pm Tickets £79-£180 (Book here) K-pop sensations Infinite announced their first ever UK show as part of the European leg of their highly-anticipated ‘One Great Step World Tour’. Just three years after forming, Infinite’s infectious melodies, electric rhythms and … [Read More]
Korean crafts abroad featured in the Korea Times
It’s always nice when things you’ve seen in London get coverage in the English language press back in Korea. In May this year the Korea Craft & Design Foundation brought a number of Korean craftsmen to the Saatchi gallery, including master lacquer craftsman Chung Hae-cho. We heard at the time that the Victoria and Albert … [Read More]
Joo Yeon Sir at the Wigmore, 11 November
Violinist Joo Yeon Sir is taking part in a shared recital at the Wigmore Hall on Monday 11 November 2013 7.30pm where she will be appearing as part of Tillett Trust Young Concert Artists Platform Scheme. She will be performing Ysaÿe Poème élégiaque and Milhaud Cinema-Fantaisie d’apres Le boeuf sur le toit and the concert … [Read More]
The Guardian hikes the Baekdu-daegan
There’s a nice piece in The Guardian this week about hiking the Baekdu-daegan. The author starts at Cheonwangbong peak, Jirisan, in Sancheong County (Gyeongsangnam-do) and walks north, ending his hike in the Deogyusan national park in Muju County, Jeollabuk-do. Koreans have long believed that a current of life-energy, or gi, runs between [Jirisan in the … [Read More]
RIP Peter Corbishley
Today was the Requiem Mass for Peter Corbishley, who died peacefully on 12 October, aged 67, after a recurrence of throat cancer. Peter was a great friend of Korea – a contributor to LKL, guest member and helper of the Korean Artists Association, and Committee member of the Anglo-Korean Society among other things. He also … [Read More]