Lee Chang-dong’s Oasis figures in most people’s list of top ten Korean films of all time, or at least of the first decade of this century: a compelling storyline which is both moving and shocking, with stand-out performances from Sol Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri. It will be screening this Thursday at the KCC as part … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 31)
Guardian list of Seoul music
Annie Ko from Seoul electro rock band Love X Stereo selects her perfect playlist for her home city, in the Guardian. It’s also a great introduction to South Korean music. Seoul Seoul Seoul by Cho Yong-pil (pictured) tops the list. Mark Russell adds his own suggestions over on his own website, too. It’s good that … [Read More]
John Lewis in successful partnership with Shinsegae
John Lewis Partnership announced its 2012/13 results yesterday – a much more successful year than many UK retailers. The partnership with Shinsegae Department Stores it announced last spring, in which it sells premium homewares in its own store-within-a-store, merited special mention in the results announcement. According to the FT: Andy Street, managing director of John … [Read More]
Wayne Rooney more important than WWIII?
A well-known commentator on North Korea was phoned by BBC Radio 5 Live today to talk on air about the recent escalation of tension on the peninsula. They held him on the line for 15 minutes, and then said that they were sorry but they would not be doing North Korea because they had a … [Read More]
Kimchee To Go: two K-food takeaways coming soon to Central London
The staff at the KCC have been getting excited about this for a while, and now the opening date is getting nearer: Kimchee, the popular Korean restaurant in Holborn affiliated to the Wasabi Japanese food chain, is opening two takeaways, one at 388 Strand WC2 (near Covent Garden) on 2 April, and the other at … [Read More]
Samsung hires judge who accused Apple of “lack of integrity”
Last November, judge Sir Robin Jacob forced Apple to redraft an apology it had been ordered to make on its website after losing its claim against Samsung for copying its designs. Samsung has hired the now-retired judge as an adviser in its patent fight against Ericsson in the US. Sources: Private Eye | Independent [Read More]
Park Chan-wook picks his cultural highlights in the Observer
Park Chan-wook is featured in “On My Radar” in today’s Observer, to mark the release of Stoker. He’s generous enough to plug Kim Ji-woon’s The Last Stand and Ryu Seung-wan’s The Berlin File, and says he has read all of the “dark, scary and erotic” novels of Sarah Waters that have been translated into Korean. … [Read More]
Choi Eudon featured in London Fashion Week
It’s nice to see Choi Eudon featured in London Fashion Week’s Daily newspaper (16 February issue), with his Doctor Zhivago inspired Autumn / Winter 2013 collection. Choi’s star has been rising since he showed some of his designs at the KCC’s Crossfields show in 2009, with Lady Gaga reported to be among his fans. There’s … [Read More]
Kim Young-ha says: Be an artist, right now!
Kim Young-ha’s TED talk on Be an Artist, Right Now!, recorded in July 2010, but only recently uploaded to YouTube. Among other things, Kim speculates on what would have happened if Kafka had shown the first sentence of his Metamorphosis to his father: Had he shown his father, “My boy has finally lost it,” he … [Read More]
RIP Park Chul-soo
So sad that Park Chul-soo, director of 301, 302 and Green Chair, has died aged 64. His most recent film, B.E.D, premiered at the Busan festival last year. Park, born 20 November 1948, was run over by a drunk driver in the early hours of 19 February as he was walking home from the set … [Read More]
What the British Say… and what they mean
This has been doing the rounds on the internet for a while, but deservedly: a very accurate dissection of the differences between what the British say, what they actually mean and what the non-native-English-speaker, or indeed anyone not British, might understand. Although the table suggests it relates to the British, it’s probably most accurate of … [Read More]
Happy 150th Birthday, James Scarth Gale
James Scarth Gale – missionary, translator, and one of the founders of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch – was born 150 years ago on 19 February 1863. His birthday has been marked by an upgraded Wikipedia page, a special page with photos on Brother Anthony’s site, and a memorial service at Yeondong Church (which … [Read More]
QPR launches new Twitter account for their Korean fans
Queens Park Rangers has just launched a Korean-language Twitter account targeted at Korean fans, now that it has two high-profile Korean players. Park Ji-sung and Yun Suk-Young gave fans a welcome message on the club’s YouTube channel: The Twitter feed launched on Saturday, and 48 hours later it already has 1,700 followers. “The new @OfficialQPR_KR … [Read More]
A fine bibimbap in Bethnal Green
If you’re in the Bethnal Green area, check out Hurwundeki (허운데기), an interesting combination of hairdresser, boutique and cafe right next door to Cambridge Heath Station (298-299 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9HA). Korean owned, the cafe is a pleasant, casual eaterie which does good coffee and a fine bibimbap among other things. Convenient for when … [Read More]
A victory for common sense? Asiana air hostesses can now wear red nail varnish
Before a recent ruling by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the Asiana dress code detailed, among other things, “the size and substance of earrings, length of skirts, color of hair and type of eye makeup the female [cabin crew] can wear. Their dress code is more than 10 pages long, while their male … [Read More]
Lee Young-ae returns in NYT ad
Yes, it’s nice to see Lee Young-ae back. But why do the people who put full page Dokdo ads in the American press feel the need also to promote Korean food in similar fashion? Aren’t Michelle Obama and Gwyneth Paltrow doing that for free? Still, I can’t think of a better spokesmodel for hansik than … [Read More]