Hanmi Gallery’s Sinsadong space opened last year, with the objective of bringing western artists to Seoul. The next exhibition should be an interesting one, with Swedish/Korean artist Leonard Johannson, whose London exhibition a year ago we rather liked. Leonard Johansson: ‘Under the influence’ Hanmi Gallery | Seoul 한미갤러리 | 서울시 강남구 신사동 608-12 | +82 … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 15)
Great news: 94 “lost” films rediscovered
I’m prepared to trust Im Kwon-taek’s judgement about the quality of his 14th film that is in the batch of lost films just donated to the Korean Film Archive – Battlefield and Mistress as a title doesn’t sound promising. He made similar comments about his early output when he spoke during his London retrospective back … [Read More]
Ghosts of Jeju to get another London screening
Eighteen months ago there was a screening of this documentary about the 4:3 incident also known as the Jeju Massacre. There’s now an opportunity to see it again at a deli in Deptford on 27 April as part of the Free Film Festival. Free event. No ticket required, but capacity is only 40 so get … [Read More]
National Youth Orchestra premieres new Unsuk Chin commission
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain has commissioned a new work by Unsuk Chin which will be premiered at a concert at Sage Gateshead on 9 April. The programme, which also includes Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Percy Grainger’s eccentric and elaborately-scored The Warriors, will be broadcast live on Radio 3 at 7:30pm, and … [Read More]
Google Korea remembers Hwang Sun-won
Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Hwang Sun-won’s birth on 26 March, 1915. Google Korea celebrated with one of their doodles, illustrating Hwang’s most well-known story, The Shower (소나기, 1959). The story was adapted as a movie by Lee Jin-mo in 1978; and Studio Meditation with Pencil is currently working on an animated version, which … [Read More]
Why Jeju Islanders don’t want Chinese to be allowed to drive?
A while ago we noticed an article in the Korean press which suggested people in Jeju-do were unhappy about Chinese being allowed to drive rental cars on the island when on vacation. I wondered what it was that concerned them. Then, the other day, I came across this article in H’s Week in China publication, … [Read More]
Winds of Change – a programme of music for piano & wind in Notting Hill
A great programme of music for piano and winds coming up this month, the Korean connection being that the ensemble includes flautist Jasmine Choi, whose Wigmore debut in 2009 impressed us a lot. An interesting venue too. Winds of Change: Vienna, St Petersburg, Paris Aspect Foundation For Music and Arts Thursday, 26 March 2015 at … [Read More]
Global Oriental title on Joseon dynasty wins American Library Association award
Congratulations to Brill / Global Oriental books, whose Everyday Life in Joseon-Era Korea was in Choice Magazine’s list of Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014. The book, edited by Cambridge University’s Michael Shin, is a collection of features on various aspects of life in the Joseon Dynasty: Everyday Life in Joseon-Era Korea shows how the momentous … [Read More]
A comprehensive list of DPRK slogans
In case you ever feel short of inspiring slogans, the WPK Central Committee and Central Military Commission has just published a list of 349 of them. Here’s an example (#344): The revolutionary spirit of Paektu, the spirit of the blizzards of Paektu and the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners’ call to keep the revolutionary faith even if … [Read More]
North Korean Policy on Disabled People – a talk with DPRK govt officials
As part of the tour by the DPRK Youth Para-ensemble there is an opportunity to discuss disability issues in North Korea with some government officials: A Talk with North Korea’s Government Officials North Korean Policy on Disabled People Place: Nuffield College, Large Lecture Room Time: 11:00 AM – 12:50 PM, 21 February, 2015 Due to … [Read More]
Hyelim Kim on actualising musical tradition – this week’s SOAS seminar
The first of four public seminars at SOAS this month features taegŭm player Hyelim Kim: Actualising Musical Tradition: Performance-as-Research on the Korean flute, taegŭm Dr Hyelim Kim (SOAS, University of London) Date: 6 February 2015, 5:15 – 7:00 PM Venue: Brunei Gallery Room: B102 The taegŭm, a horizontal bamboo flute, is considered one of the … [Read More]
DPRK responds to Shin Dong-hyuk’s inaccurate testimony
Further to the news that Shin Dong-hyuk, the “Camp 14 escapee”, has admitted that some of his testimony was inaccurate, the DPRK has written to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN General Assembly seeking to get the 18 December 2014 resolution overturned. The full text of the DPRK’s 2 February 2015 letter … [Read More]
Namul – a nice bibimbap place in Brighton
A nice Korean place to know about if you’re ever in Brighton. ‘Namul’, which opened six weeks ago, is right in the thick of the trendy North Lanes, serving bibimbap and sushi in a small no frills little cafe style place. The bibimbap comes with white, brown or black rice and a great selection of … [Read More]
The Korean Information Centre is launched
Theatre for All’s ambitious project, the Korean Information Centre (KIC), has been set up to help the Korean community by increasing access to information and to promote integration. Aim: To build a healthier and happier Korean community by transcending cultural barriers. Objectives: To integrate with the local community To increase access to information To empower … [Read More]
The BKS Diners celebrate Seollal
The first 2015 get-together of the British Korean Society diners is on 18 February to celebrate the lunar new year: Celebrating Seollal: The Korean Lunar New Year Wednesday 18 February 2015, 7.00pm Kalbi Korean Restaurant, 36, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 5HP (Nearest Underground stations are Chancery Lane & Farringdon; Bus Routes, 19, 38 & 341) … [Read More]
LSE lecture: Is the multicultural state a doomed project in South Korea?
The cynics will say that multiculturalism in South Korea consists of teaching foreigners how to make kimchi. The upcoming talk at SOAS will examine the matter in a bit more depth. Constructing the Multicultural States in South Korea & Japan: Chimera or Reality LSESU Korean Society Annual Lecture Series 31 January 2015, 14:00–16:00 Room 7.02, … [Read More]