London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Im Sang Soo: Uncut

In this wide-ranging Q&A, director Im Sang-soo discusses censorship, politics, Korean cinema’s future, international filmmaking and his own uneasy relationship with power, money and history. Frank, provocative and often humorous, the conversation offers rare insight into one of Korea’s most uncompromising filmmakers. [Read More]

Return of Millennium Dream

Last year the ceramic artists of North Gyeongsang province held an exhibition just off Regent Street entitled Millennium Dream, Millennium Light. This year they return to a gallery in New Malden – coinciding nicely with the first week of the New Malden Arts Festival. As last year, the exhibition will include work by renowned masters. … [Read More]

June events 2008

Here are the events that I know about for June. Apologies for the delays in posting this – my broadband service is down at the moment and I have to find alternative solutions for posting. As ever, please let me know of addenda and corrigenda. Festivals 8 June: Dano summer festival, Trafalgar Square, 1-7pm. Last … [Read More]

The financial sector as engine for growth

There was no hope of applying the Chatham House rule at yesterday’s talk by HE Dr Jun Kwang-woo, chairman of Korea’s Financial Services Commission. With two TV cameras and numerous digital recorders on show, this meeting was firmly on the record. Reflecting the more formal nature of this meeting, Dr Jun spoke from a prepared … [Read More]

Im Sang Soo faces London grilling

Korean film director Im Sang Soo is participating in two Q&A sessions this week: Friday at the KCC and Saturday at the ICA, the latter in conjunction with the screening of The President’s Last Bang. It has been said that Im Sang Soo is practically the only director now making films that take a long … [Read More]

An evening with immigration lawyers Laura Devine

Another event from the Anglo Korean Society’s packed programme: ANGLO -KOREAN SOCIETY JOINT PRESIDENTS H.E. The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Dr Cho Yoon-Je Dr Robert Hawley CBE CHAIRMAN Sir Stephen Brown LAURA DEVINE (Immigration Solicitor) Thursday 5 June 2008 6.30 pm Laura Devine Solicitors 11 OLD JEWRY LONDON EC2R 8DU (off Poultry, nearest … [Read More]

Homeless Penguins come to town

The theme of this year’s New Malden Arts Festival is the quirky “Homeless Penguins Come to Town”. The homeless penguins parade through New Malden on 14 June is designed to raise awareness of their natural habitat being destroyed by global warming. The festival itself runs from 2 – 22 June. Despite its location, and despite … [Read More]

Tiger Festival comes to London and Brighton

Three Korean films are coming to London and Brighton as part of the Tiger Far East Film Festival (1) The controversial CGI monster pic D-War (Shim Hyung-rye, 심형래, 2007) Synopsis (from KOFIC): A thousand years ago, in a little village on the Korean peninsula, a child of destiny is born with a Youijoo (a magic … [Read More]

The versatile Yoon Band plays London

Saharial introduces the talents of the Yoon Band, which will be performing in Trafalgar Square on 8 June When I heard that the Yoon Band was coming to the UK for two gigs in June, I was almost jumping round my room with excitement. That my room is rather small and I suffered a few … [Read More]

Sunset for the Sunshine Policy?

The inaugural Global Korea Lecture will be held on Wednesday 28 May at the KCC at 6:30pm The lecture will be on the subject: South and North Korea : Sunset for the Sunshine Policy? and will be given by ‘Britain’s leading Korea watcher’ Aidan Foster-Carter. Dr. Kwang Ho Chun will chair. Aidan Foster-Carter has followed … [Read More]

Family Ties to screen at KCC

The next film to feature at the KCC is Family Ties, also known as Birth of a Family (가족의 탄생), starring one of my favourite actresses, the talented Moon So-ri (below right). Synopsis Mi-ra, who runs a small snack food restaurant, has a trouble-maker brother, Hyung-chul. After being discharged from the military, he goes missing. … [Read More]

Antique Korean maps to be exhibited at KCC

Something completely different at the KCC in May-June, and rather interesting: a collection of Choson dynasty maps, in an exhibition organised by the KCC’s librarian Eunjeong Shin. The exhibition has an associated education programme aimed at local schools, while for the grown-ups there will be a lecture from the V&A’s Beth McKillop. Full details below. … [Read More]