London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

BBC Korea goes live

The BBC Korean language service started broadcasting today (Korea time / 4:30pm UK time yesterday). According to the press release, BBC News Korean features a daily 30-minute radio news programme broadcast at 15.30 GMT on Shortwave (SW) and 16.30 GMT Medium wave (MW). The service will also feature a digital offer with written stories, videos … [Read More]

A focus on Korean Jewellery at the V+A

The Victoria and Albert Museum has been collaborating with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation on a project where a group of eight Korean jewellery practitioners will come to the V&A for a two-week workshop during the London Design Festival from the 18 to 29 September. We get the opportunity to meet those designers at … [Read More]

A good list of restaurants in Seoul

It’s so rare to find a list of recommended restaurants in Seoul that focuses on Korean food as opposed to French and other cuisine, and which includes honest, salt-of-the-earth type places as well as the fancy ones with Michelin stars. So I don’t want to lose this particular link, which includes two very humble places … [Read More]

Joo Yeon Sir in Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man

News of Joo Yeon Sir’s September appearance at the Royal Festival Hall: Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man 29 Sep 2017, 7:30 pm Approximate run time: 150 mins Royal Festival Hall Tickets: £16.50 – £50 Booking fee: £2.50 Book tickets See Sir Karl Jenkins conduct a superb concert of his own compositions. Part of RGL Great … [Read More]

Ambassador Cho posted to Washington

Cho Yoon-je, who was Seoul’s ambassador to London when LKL came online in 2006, has been posted to Washington. After leaving London, Ambassador Cho took up an academic post at Sogang University. Meanwhile, Victor Cha, author of among other things The Impossible State fills the post of US ambassador to Seoul. Source: Korea JoongAng Daily [Read More]

Event news: Kim Kyung-ju poetry tour

Kim Kyung Ju will be visiting the UK this month with his translator, Jake Levine, to take part in the events below. Kim’s first work to be published in English is I am a Season That Does Not Exist in This World, published by Black Ocean last year. His two plays and another poetry collection … [Read More]

Event news: Connect North Korea’s 1st monthly meet-up

As trailed at a meeting in New Malden back in April, a monthly series of informal meet-ups giving opportunities to help North Korean refugees with their English language skills. Register via Eventbrite for the first meet-up. Official Launch: Connect: North Korea’s 1st Monthly Meet-Up Sat 29 July 2017, 10:30 – 13:00 Richmond Park (exact venue … [Read More]

Hurricane Kimchi appears on BBC World News

Heezy Yang, the South Korean artist, performer and activist, is also known for his fabulous alter-ego, the drag queen Hurricane Kimchi. Currently in London for the Queer Asia conference at SOAS where he is performing alongside Chinese feminist and LGBTQ activist Whiskey Chow, he appeared on BBC World News yesterday: Yang has illustrated several LGBT … [Read More]