London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Failan to screen at the KCC

It’s at or near the top of many people’s list of the best Korean weepie films. You can judge for yourself on Thursday 22 July at the KCC. One thing’s for certain: Cecilia Chung is very pretty. Failan 7pm, Thursday 22nd July 2010 Director: Song Hae-sung Cast: Choi Min-sik, Cecilia Chung Genre: Drama / Romance … [Read More]

Down the road of Globalisation: group show at St Martin-in-the-Fields

Details of a group exhibition opening in the St Martin-in-the-Fields crypt starting on Monday: Down the road of Globalisation Artists: Tina Hage, Ayoung Kim, Jörg Obergfell, Beltran Obregon, Yo Okada, Gunwoo Shin, Hyemin Son Curator: Anna Miyoung Kim (www.annaartproject.co.uk) Venue: Crypt Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4JJ Date: 19th Jul 2010 – … [Read More]

The East is Tasted at Tower Bridge

We’ll remember this summer heat: after so many Korean summer festivals in London marred by rain and cold, this one was a scorcher. Blue skies, Tower Bridge in the background heaving with tourists, the Gherkin to the north, and on the south side on some of the greenest lawns I’ve seen for weeks during this … [Read More]

Korean Eye: anything but ordinary

Jennifer Barclay pays a quick visit to the varied exhibition of contemporary Korean art at the Saatchi Gallery Korean Eye was founded by David Ciclitira, who became a fan of contemporary Korean art when visiting South Korea on business, and decided to bring an exhibition to the UK for the first time last year. As … [Read More]

White Badge: Korea and the Vietnamese War

In a year that we remember the 60th anniversary of the first post-WW2 US military involvement in Asia, it was a great idea to invite Director Jeong Ji-yeong (정지영) to the UK. Jeong is known for a number of well-received films, including Nambugun, a film which gives a nuanced view of the Korean War from … [Read More]

Oh Tae-seok’s Romeo and Juliet returns

Romeo and Juliet is coming to Kingston as part of the 4th New Malden Arts Festival. Presented by Mokwha Theatre Company, the most famous theatre company in South Korea, the performance is only UK date in 2010 of this mesmerising production which sold out at the Barbican in 2006. This highly stylised Romeo and Juliet … [Read More]

My Love DMZ comes to Kingston

“Love” and “DMZ” do not often appear together in the same sentence. But this is the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, and there’s a special production as part of the New Malden Arts Festival on 20th July. And in a special deal, LKL readers will get free admission to the performance … [Read More]

Castaway on the Moon to screen at the KCC

This week’s film at the KCC is Castaway on the Moon, directed by Lee Hae-jun, a quirky romance from 2009. Love HK Film comments: “Even though it starts off slowly, Lee Hae-jun’s eccentric comedy about urban isolation delights and charms with its irreverent humor.” Synopsis A man named Kim jumps into the dark, quiet waters … [Read More]

Present from the Past: meet the artists

The Korean Cultural Centre UK will be hosting an Artists’ Talk to go with the current exhibition: Present from the Past: the 60th Commemoration of the Korean War on 9 July, 2010. Participating artists will be invited for the talk and each will introduce their portfolio including the work submitted for this exhibition. A Q&A … [Read More]

Bae Chan-hyo: Fairy Tales

News of Bae Chan-hyo’s summer show at Purdy Hicks: Bae Chan-hyo: Fairy Tales 2 July – 31 July 2010 Following on from his previous series of photographs, Existing in Costume, Bae Chan-hyo’s new work continues to explore themes of identity, alienation and memory through the form of exquisitely staged scenes of traditional fairy tales. The … [Read More]

July events 2010

Now that the football’s over, there’s something for everyone this month: an Asian food festival at Tower Bridge, a Korean Romeo and Juliet in Kingston and the continued Korean War commemorations at the KCC including the Present from the Past exhibition, plus the return of Korean Eye at the Saatchi Gallery. Here’s the list as … [Read More]

An evening with Changrae Lee

LKL reports from the evening with Korean American author Changrae Lee, chaired by Erica Wagner, as part of the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, 24 May 2010. The Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, now in its fifth year, for the first time included Korean representation this year. With such a title, you might … [Read More]

Dr Hongnam Kim – Do Museums matter? Looking beyond cultural nationalism in Asia

Last September Dr Hongnam Kim, former Director of the National Museum of Korea and a leading thinker on cultural policy, was due to deliver the Henry Cole Lecture on the subject: Do Museums matter? Looking beyond cultural nationalism in Asia. Illness prevented her travel at the time, and in April the Icelandic volcanic cloud prevented … [Read More]