London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

We Love Kim Soo Hee (he said)

Two of your regular LKL writers were so taken with Kim Soo Hee’s concert on 26 January that we both felt moved to write about it. Here’s Philip‘s take. “They turned up this afternoon and asked us where our sound system and lighting was,” confided the House Manager at St John’s Smith Square as I … [Read More]

Stories from the Land of Morning Calm

South Korea may well be the most ‘wired’ country on earth but super-computer-literate Koreans are still quite likely to believe that spirits exist in every part of nature, and see nothing unusual in seeking guidance from stories. From his recent research at The National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, Sef Townsend brings stories that … [Read More]

The War Veterans’ Annual Report 2007

One of the things I want to do this year is to start to provide a little coverage of the activities and stories of the veterans from the Korean War. Where better to start than a report of the activities of the British Korean Veterans Association over the past year, presented last week to the … [Read More]

Paul French: Chollima Speed to Slow Motion Famine

In Cambridge and London this week. First, Tuesday, 29th January, 2008 at 5pm in the Common Room, Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge. The University of Cambridge Department of East Asian Studies presents an East Asia Institute seminar: Paradise Lost: From Chollima Speed to Slow Motion Famine How North Korea Got … [Read More]

Woyzeck: review

Sadari Movement Laboratory: Woyzeck Part of the London Mime Festival Review by Saharial I am not an expert on mime or dance in any way, and lack any technical terms of description and I also have no real point of reference or comparison as dance is not my forte. Thanks to Philip though I was … [Read More]

North Korea: new approaches – conference report

The panel and attendance list of the 8th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights & Refugees was a who’s who of North Korean experts and Koreanists in general (1). As expected, there was no representation from the DPRK embassy. Given that more than one panellist characterised past conferences as “people getting together to bash … [Read More]

Forget-me-not at I-MYU

I-MYU Projects present their third exhibition since opening near Old Street towards the end of last year. One thing I like about the I-MYU gallery is the quality of their press releases. For someone as unversed in art appreciation as me, their materials always seem both intelligent and intelligible, informative without being too high-brow, and … [Read More]

Kim Soo-hee comes to London

In a top-secret event known only to selected members of the New Malden Korean community, Trot star Kim Soo-hee (below) is coming to London. She will be performing at St John’s Smith Square on 26 January at 7:30pm. The event is sponsored by one of the local Korean newspapers. The event is so secret that … [Read More]

Discussion: The South Korean class struggle

As a conservative prepares to take over in Seoul, in London a Marxist provides some commentary on the class struggle in South Korea. At the slightly anti-social time of 6pm on Saturday evening at Housman’s bookshop near Kings Cross, Loren Goldner will speak as follows: From Mass Strike to Casualization and Retreat: The Korean Working … [Read More]

North Korea – New Approaches

Received from Chatham House: North Korea: NEW APPROACHES The 8th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights & Refugees January 22, 2008 – London, UK Venue: Chatham House — The Royal Institute of International Affairs 10 St James’s Square, London SW1Y4LE AGENDA Language of proceedings: Korean/English Tuesday, 22 January, 2008 09:00 Registration (Chatham House, 10 … [Read More]

Francesca Cho’s January shows

Korean-born artist Francesca Cho is exhibiting work in two group shows, in London and Bergamo, this month. The London show, Sacred, in the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre London Bridge (73-81 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 ONQ [map]) near the Financial Times offices in Southwark Bridge Road — two minutes’ walk from Tate Modern — is to … [Read More]

Spring term SOAS free seminars

The event schedule for the SOAS Centre of Korean Studies has just been announced for the current term Fridays, 5pm Room G52, Ground Floor, Main Building SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG (except where otherwise stated) For further details contact: Rahima Begum (rb41 AT soas DOT ac DOT uk) All Welcome These Seminars … [Read More]

DPRK art show, part 2

Such was the quantity of good material that Mansudae sent to London last year for the exhibition at La Galleria that there wasn’t enough space to show it all. So for two weeks this month there will be an opportunity to see some of the work that didn’t make it on to the walls. Last … [Read More]