British Airways resumed direct flights to Seoul on 2 December 2012 – a service they stopped back in 1998, in the aftermath of the so-called IMF Crisis. That was then. This is now: “We have seen significant growth in customers wanting to travel to Seoul for both business and pleasure,” said BA’s commercial director in … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 34)
‘I sold my blood to attend a K-fandom convention’ – and other recent K-wave articles
For those with time on their hands, here’s a few articles about how far K-pop is spreading, whether K-pop culture is beating J-pop culture and other copy generated by the Psy phenomenon. Highly recommended: Will the Korean pop culture boom have legs?, Tao Jones, 22 November, Wall Street Journal Speakeasy blog – has the shock … [Read More]
Dress Classy, Dance Cheesy – the KCCUK’s seasonal K-pop party
Some early seasonal cheer at the KCCUK. Book soon. The tickets are bound to disappear fast. DRESS CLASSY DANCE CHEESY & LET’S PARTY To celebrate the graduation of the 2nd K-Pop Academy and a phenomenal year of ‘Gangnam Style’, we would like to invite you all to our ‘Merry K-Pop Night’ on Saturday, 8th December … [Read More]
Which of these two should be the Time Magazine person of the Year?
Who would you vote for as Time Magazine Person of the Year 2012? This guy? Or this guy? I can’t remember there being two Koreans on the 40-strong shortlist before. And for the first time in recent history, you can’t vote for Rain. (HT Yoo Kwang-on) [Read More]
Maybe one reason why Psy is the most-watched YouTube video ever
Me: So, he’s the most watched video ever! Korean friend: Yes. I click on it 50 times a day. Hmm. So is that how he did it? Well, maybe not (the video certainly deserves to beat Justin Bieber), but it’s an interesting thought. And on a related subject, the Joongang Ilbo reports on a story … [Read More]
Who would YOU vote for as Woman of the Year?
Well, GQ Korea says it’s SiSTAR, but the girl group was picked “because there were not many other options.” Actor Ha Sung-woo was man of the year. Needless to say, Kim Ki-duk and PSY also get mentioned. [Read More]
PSY vs the generic K-pop girls
PSY has thrashed the lot of them when it comes to YouTube views. And now he’s up against KARA, SiSTAR and 4Minute in the Soju Wars. According to Koreabang, Jinro’s Chamiseul outsells Lotte’s Cheoeum Cheoreom by almost 3 to 1. PSY has now signed up to promote Jinro, while Hara, Hyolyn and HyunA have just … [Read More]
Grace Yeo performs at the Purcell Room
A recital by pianist Grace Yeo, award winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund, who recently had her debut at the Wigmore Hall. The recital is at the Purcell Room on Monday 3 Dec 2012 at 7:45pm. Admission is FREE but ticketed – call FREEPHONE 0800 652 6717 to reserve your free tickets. Programme: Brahms: … [Read More]
I have no reason to drink Cheoeum Cheoreom any more
The average soju you get in London Korean restaurants is all much of a muchness. You either take whatever is on the drinks list, or, if you have a choice, you choose the one advertised by your favourite soju girl. And now that Lotte has parted company with Lee Hyori after five years advertising Cheoeum … [Read More]
Ko Un featured in the Guardian
Korean poetry in translation isn’t much featured on the web anywhere, so when a major UK broadsheet features Ko Un, Korea’s most famous poet, together with his Cornish translator Brother Anthony, it is a cause for celebration. The Guardian has a nice piece on his appearance at the Aldeburgh poetry festival (3-4 November), which is … [Read More]
“Arirang” looks to be safeguarded at UNESCO for (South) Korea
After last year’s scare that China was laying claim to Arirang, Korea’s most famous folk-song, it looks like UNESCO will soon be listing it as part of Korea’s intangible heritage (source: Korea Times / Cultural Heritage Administration). But the song, which is loved throughout the peninsula and in Korean communities elsewhere, is to be registered … [Read More]
Festival Film Review: All about my wife – a perfect date movie
Part of the K-comedy stream of the 2012 LKFF. Im Soo-jeong plays a shrewish wife driving her husband (Lee Seon-gyoon) crazy, causing him to hire a Casanova (Ryu Seung-ryong) to woo her to give him an excuse for divorce. This is a perfect date movie: entertaining, never too demanding but still making you think about … [Read More]
White Night pulled from LKFF 2012 programme
Sadly White Night (백야, LeeSong Hee-il 2012), the only queer-themed film on LKFF programme this year, has been pulled at the last minute. According to Otherwhere, the 70 minute feature was inspired by the real life case of a homophobic street assault. The film, which first showed at the Jeonju International Film Fest in April … [Read More]
Elephant learns to speak Korean
Well almost. According to the BBC, Koshik the elephant has learnt to imitate human speech and can say five words in Korean: hello, no, sit down, lie down and good. The zoo animal places the tip of his trunk into his mouth to transform his natural low rumble into a convincing impression of a human … [Read More]
PSY’s Oxford talk confirmed for 7 November – members only
It’s going to be popular, so tickets (for which only members of the Oxford Union Society are eligible) will be allocated by random ballot. Maybe someone will sneak in a video camera and we’ll see it on YouTube in due course. Maybe I should have joined up when I had the chance. Details on the … [Read More]
KTLit reviews Kim Young-ha’s “Black Flower”
It’s a translation I’ve been waiting for for ages, and finally it’s out. Charles over at KTLit.com has the scoop with a very early review, but I’m not going to look until I’ve read the book myself. Every other book on my reading pile will be pushed aside. This one is top priority. It’s out … [Read More]