It was a very tantalising lecture. Dr Lewis and his co-authors had been given jpeg images of 18th-century accounting records from Kaesong by a shadowy intermediary. The agent hoped that having seen some quality goods, representing a very small portion of a set of books and records, the academics would fork out hard cash for … [Read More]
Category: Historical (page 6)
Capitalism in old Kaesong
As the North threatens to take steps to shut down its capitalist venture with the South in the Kaesong industrial complex, there’s a timely historical seminar at SOAS this Friday, 28 November. Oxford’s Dr James B Lewis looks at evidence of pre-modern capitalism in old Kaesong. The official title of the seminar: “Korean merchant double-entry … [Read More]
100 years of the Salvation Army in Korea
By Michael Rank London isn’t exactly full of reminders of Korea, so I was surprised to discover in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, a newly placed plaque in memory of the man who brought the Salvation Army to Korea. The black marble plaque describes in English and Korean how “With Marching Orders from [Salvation Army … [Read More]
The Tripitaka Koreana part 2 – the Depository Buildings
Matthew Jackson continues his series of articles on the important treasures from Korea’s past The depository buildings which house the Tripitaka Koreana library are unique in almost every sense. Officially the largest wooden storage complex in the world, they are registered together with the Tripitaka itself as part of the UNESCO World Heritage (http://whc.unesco.org/). The … [Read More]
The Tripitaka Koreana – part 1
Matthew Jackson continues his series of articles on the important treasures from Korea’s past One crowning achievement of Korea’s Buddhist heritage that is not included in the Bozar ‘Smile of Buddha’ exhibition is the Tripitaka Koreana. There is a practical reason for this, as it consists of 81,258 woodblocks, weighs 280 tons in total, and … [Read More]
The Pensive Bodhisattva comes to Brussels
By Matthew Jackson The centrepiece of the Bozar exhibition of Korean Buddhist Art, beginning in Brussels on the 10th of October, will be the Pensive Bodhisattva statue, Korea’s National Treasure No. 83. It is difficult to describe in words why the statue is regarded so highly as a work of Buddhist art, because its qualities … [Read More]
Korea at 60: Forwards and Upwards
From the KCC website: The government of the Republic of Korea was established on August 15, 1948 after three years of U.S. military administration following liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Date: 6 October 2008 13 October 2008 Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK The exhibition is organised by Korean Culture and Information Service, and presented by … [Read More]
The Sarira Casket
Matthew Jackson describes one of the Buddhist treasures in the Seoul National Museum. Of the few people I have asked who have visited the Seoul National Museum, no one has mentioned the Gameunsa Sarira Casket as the high point of their tour. When I visited the museum myself, even though I was specifically looking out … [Read More]
Saturday documentaries at the KCC
Every Saturday from late August and throughout September there will be screenings of a documentary about the remarkable Silla Dynasty “Sarira Casket of Kameun Temple” at the KCC (right). Screenings will last around 20 minutes, and are provisionally scheduled for noon, 2pm and 4pm: Impossible to replicate with modern technology, this 1300 year-old Sarira Casket … [Read More]
Make this Saturday a Korean day
I’ve already told you about the films this Saturday. Take your pick between The Chaser at 4:40 in Leicester Square and Seven Days in Brunswick Square at 6:30. How about making a whole day of it? Turn up at the Korean Cultural Centre earlier in the day and browse the DVD / CD library and … [Read More]
A veteran remembers
Today, 27 July, is the anniversary of the end of the Korean War in 1953 – a war in which millions died, and which only ended with a ceasefire, Korea remaining divided by a heavily guarded border for fifty-five years now. Jennifer Barclay marks the occasion. Peter Poole served in the Korean War as a … [Read More]
Saturday documentaries at the KCC
This Saturday there will be a screening of a short film entitled “The History of Gold” at the Korean Cultural Centre at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Each screening will last around 30 minutes. Silla people decorate their houses with silk interwoven with golden thread, and use golden plates and cutlery at meals (Arab historian, 10th … [Read More]
Maps political and pictorial
I’m sorry I never had any time to write up the Map exhibition at the KCC properly. Alas, it’s over now. I managed to miss most of Beth McKillop’s informative talk, and never had the chance to persuade Shin Eunjeong to show me around. If I get a moment I’ll do a quick Reader’s Digest … [Read More]
Antique Korean maps to be exhibited at KCC
Something completely different at the KCC in May-June, and rather interesting: a collection of Choson dynasty maps, in an exhibition organised by the KCC’s librarian Eunjeong Shin. The exhibition has an associated education programme aimed at local schools, while for the grown-ups there will be a lecture from the V&A’s Beth McKillop. Full details below. … [Read More]
Harvard Online: The Two Koreas
Beginning January 31, students living anywhere in the world can examine key historical forces that have created and shaped the two Koreas before, during, and after the actual partition of the country in 1945 in a new Harvard Extension School online course, HIST E-1814 The Two Koreas. Harvard’s Carter J. Eckert, PhD, Yoon Se Young … [Read More]
Class struggles: a report from Loren Goldner’s talk
Those Koreanists who looked at the timing of the talk by Loren Goldner and decided to give it a miss were probably well advised. 6pm on a Saturday night is not the best time to pull in the punters. But inside the rather pokey Kings Cross bookshop it was standing room only. Those who turned … [Read More]