A day of Korean cultural and networking at the Royal College of Art Battersea Campus. Find out more on the event’s Facebook Page. K-Culture Day Hosted by AskCulture and Inspire Me Korea Saturday 3 September 12:30–17:00 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN If you’d love to know more about Korea, we invite you to our Korean … [Read More]
Category: Asides (page 8)
Event news: Chuseok celebrations in Kingston
There will be some Chuseok festivities on Saturday 17 September in Kingston marketplace, 12-4pm, organised by Korean British Cultural Exchange and supported by Kingston Council. It is said to be the first Korean street/outdoor festival to be held in Kingston town centre, and is certainly to be welcomed as an alternative focus to celebrate Koreanness there now the summer festival in … [Read More]
Minister Thae moves south
Here are a few links relating to Minister Thae Yong-ho’s defection. Minister Thae was the cultural attache at the DPRK embassy in London, and according to reports effectively the deputy head of mission. At LKL, we came across him during the second art exhibition held at the embassy back in 2014. He was probably there … [Read More]
Krys Lee featured in the Guardian
There’s a really good interview with Krys Lee (Drifting House, How I Became a North Korean) in The Guardian: “The acclaimed short story writer talks about her debut novel, trying to understand her violent father and moving back from the US to South Korea”. The novel is available on Amazon from 18 August. Krys Lee … [Read More]
A selection of clippings from Rio 2016
1. The ROK team’s opening parade: who’s the foreign-looking chap who can’t tuck his shirt in or do his top button up? 2. The first selfie to go viral — gymnast Lee Eun-Ju (ROK) with Hong Un Jong (DPRK) (photo: Reuters): 3. The first world record of the games – in archery: “South Korean world … [Read More]
KCC culture workshops autumn term – application window now open
The application window for the third term of this year’s culture workshops at the KCC is now open. Note that the taekwondo and gayageum classes continue on from the previous two terms and are thus only open to those who have attended previous terms. Applications are invited though for the calligraphy and jogakbo classes. You … [Read More]
10th K-pop academy – application window now open
I can’t believe that this is now the 10th season of the K-pop Academy at the KCC. The first one was back in 2012. Deadline for application is 4 September. The 10th K-Pop Academy: Applications now open Dates: 24 September 2016 – 26 November 2016 (10 weeks) Time: 14:00 – 16:00 (every Saturday) Venues: Korean … [Read More]
Event news: Bongsu Park Crossing Over — Ritual of Grief
A two-part performance on successive Saturday afternoons in August: Crossing Over – Ritual of Grief 13 & 20 Aug 2016, 4pm-5pm Free, donations welcome. Registration details below. Live – performance Bongsu Park + Kyung Mi Huh Seong Jun Heo Hyo Been Eom Amit Sharma Marc Stevenson Letitia Wilkinson Laura Lorenzi [PART I] Crossing Over – … [Read More]
Anti-Americanism in Democratizing South Korea
This book by David Straub, head of the political section in the US Embassy in Seoul 1999-2002, has just gone onto my wishlist. Reviews by Aidan Foster Carter in the Korea JoongAng Daily and by Bradley K Martin in Asia Times. Available from Amazon.co.uk. Published by Stanford’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and distributed by the … [Read More]
Slaves to the System Project launches Poland report
Slaves to the System, a collaboration between EAHRNK and the Leiden Asia Centre, published their first major report on DPRK workers in Poland at a conference held at Leiden this week: On Wednesday afternoon (6 July) in Leiden, the Netherlands, a new in-depth report on the issue of North Korean forced labour in Poland was … [Read More]
Visiting Korean students protest Comfort Woman issue
Great to see so many young people from South Korea raising awareness of the ‘comfort women’ issue in London today, performing and protesting at the Japanese embassy and Trafalgar Square. [Read More]
Ryu Seonghie featured in the JoongAng Daily
Readers may remember back to 2014 when the KCC had its Year of the Film Professionals. The final professional to be featured was production designer Ryu Seonghie, who has worked on many of the most distinctive Korean movies of the 21st century. Her most recent success is Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden, for which she won the Vulcan Award … [Read More]
Andrew Salmon awarded MBE
Congratulations to Andy Salmon for being awarded an MBE in the Queens 90th birthday honours list. His citation, in the Diplomatic Service and Overseas List reads as follows: Andrew Charles SALMON Journalist and writer, Seoul, Republic of Korea. For services to British Veterans of the Korean War. If you haven’t already, check out his two … [Read More]
Event news: Sounds of Korea, at SOAS
The SOAS Korean Music Society presents a varied programme of Korean music this coming Friday (10 June) at 7pm in the main SOAS building. It is rumoured that they will be joined by guest performer Gamin (who will be playing with Notes Inégales at Wilton’s Music Hall on 14 and 15 June). Entry free but … [Read More]
The new Ambassador presents his credentials
The new RoK Ambassador, Hwang Joonkook, presented his credentials to the Queen on 1 June. Among the topics of conversation was Han Kang’s Vegetarian. More photos available on the RoK Embassy website. [Read More]
Brief review: The Priests – another excellent LKFF16 teaser
The second of the KCC’s “teaser screenings” for the 2016 London Korean Film Festival, which screened last night at the Picturehouse Central, was another hit. Let’s hope they keep this up. Jang Jae-hyun’s The Priests was a hugely fun (and suspense-filled) exorcism movie, and an impressive full-length debut for the director. It will win new … [Read More]