Kim Young-ha’s Your Republic is Calling You made it to #38 in Amazon’s bestseller list – the first Korean novel in the top 100. http://bit.ly/eLFkhL #. Joongang Ilbo article on Korean authors getting foreign recognition also mentions Shin Kyung-sook, Jo Kyung-ran and Hwang Sok-yong. [Read More]
Books and literature (page 35)
Book review: Jinhee Choi — The South Korean Film Renaissance
Jinhee Choi: The South Korean Film Renaissance Local Hitmakers, Global Provocateurs Wesleyan University Press, 2010 There seems to be an ever-growing pile of available books of Korean film, with more to come over the next two years. This is testament to the established interest in Asian film and the growth of media studies as an … [Read More]
New Adoptee study: The Dance of Identities
Recently published by University of Hawai’i Press: The Dance of Identities: Korean Adoptees and Their Journey toward Empowerment Author: Palmer, John D. Korean adoptees have a difficult time relating to any of the racial identity models because they are people of color who often grew up in white homes and communities. Biracial and nonadopted people … [Read More]
Book review: Darcy Paquet — New Korean Cinema
Darcy Paquet: New Korean Cinema – Breaking the Waves Wallflower Press, 2009 This brief introduction to Korean film is packed with insight based on Darcy Paquet’s unique viewpoint on Korean film.1 Do not expect to find lots of analysis of individual films, or discussion of cinematography, lighting or editing techniques. But what you have in … [Read More]
A gift idea for Winter Sonata fans?
Bae Yong-joon’s book about Korea — A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty — has been translated into English: a Christmas gift idea? http://bit.ly/gobpWT #. The book sold well in its Japanese and Taiwanese versions, according to the Chosun Ilbo. [Read More]
Where to start in Korean literature, and five “Classics” to avoid
Charles Montgomery has a great post on where to start in translated Korean literature, and in another article shares Five Korean “Classics” To Avoid: Heartless (Yi Kwang-su, 1917) Aunt Suni (Hyeon Ki-young, 1978) Between Heaven and Earth (Yun Dae-nyong, 1996) A Man (Hwang Sun-won) and Buckwheat Season (Yi Hyo-sok, 1936). One day, I’m going to … [Read More]
Barbara Demick’s Nothing to Envy lives up to the hype
Barbara Demick: Nothing to Envy – Real Lives in North Korea Granta, 2010 Why, when Korean Studies bookshelves are dominated by volumes about the North, about which so much less is known than the South, do we need yet another volume? Why, when we have so many defector eye-witness accounts of starvation, torture and oppression, … [Read More]
Calling all book hoarders: the National Library wants your old books
An announcement received via EJ Shin, the librarian at the KCC in London: The National Library of Korea (NLK) has announced that they would very much like to purchase any antiquarian books on the subject of Korea (published outside of Korea prior to 1950). Any publications on the subject of Korea, regardless of the languages … [Read More]
Deleuze, Cinema and National Identity
Deleuze, Cinema and National Identity: Narrative Time in National Contexts. http://amzn.to/azAXRL Looks like one film book I’d really hate, even though it discusses Lee Chang-dong’s Peppermint Candy. # [Read More]
Discovering Korean Cinema book launch at the KCC
For those keen to find out more about Korean film there’s an interesting talk, together with a book launch, at the KCC on Tuesday 23 November. Three distinguished speakers: Daniel Martin will be chairing the panel and giving a brief talk on the history of the LKFF, Mark Morris will be talking about War films, … [Read More]
Inaugural Military History Award Goes to Book on ‘Forgotten War’
I’m a few days late on passing this on, but congratulations to Andrew Salmon for the success of his “To the Last Round”: Aldershot Military Museum, 10th November. On the eve of Remembrance Day 2010, a book on Britain’s bloodiest – but almost completely unknown – post-1945 battle won the inaugural Hampshire Libraries (Special Collections) … [Read More]
Korean Art featured in Orientations
The November / December 2010 issue of Orientations Magazine features Korean art, celebrating 10 years of the British Museum's Korean gallery http://bit.ly/cWD1jn #. Back orders are avaialable from the website. [Read More]
Korean flavours going mainstream? Nigella gets gochujang
Purists may throw their hands up in horror, but one indicator that a cuisine is beginning to get accepted internationally is that its flavours and ingredients become incorporated into the cuisines of other countries and new fusion dishes are created. The new dishes may bear absolutely no relation to the original national cuisine (can you … [Read More]
Book Review: Yin Yang Tattoo
Ron McMillan: Yin Yang Tattoo Sandstone Press, 2010 “If you’ll excuse us, we have stereotypes to explore,” says our hero, Alec Brodie, to a visiting investment banker as he heads off to a private room arm-in-arm with a Korean girl. Yes, there’s irony in the quip, but the stereotypes don’t stop with the expense-account prostitute. … [Read More]
Stylish trailer for Yin Yang Tattoo
Here’s a stylish artwork on this promotional Video for Ron McMillan’s Yin Yang Tattoo. Via ROK Drop. http://bit.ly/cghkDx # LKL’s review of the book can be found here. [Read More]
Bad Samaritans Banned from Bases
Korea's constitutional court confirms that Ha-joon Chang's "Bad Samaritans" is too dangerous to be read by the military http://bit.ly/aLpxtz # The 2nd Article of the 16th Clause of the military discipline rule stipulates that soldiers may not produce, copy, keep, transport or acquire subversive documents, books or any other means of expression, and to report … [Read More]