There’s a lovely item in today’s Korea JoongAng Daily about a report by the Bank of Korea (including the above image) on how people have been attempting to disinfect their banknotes to protect themselves from Covid-19. Putting them in the washing machine and then the tumble dryer, or microwaving them, is not recommended. “The central … [Read More]
Category: Humour
The LKL quiz of the year 2017
I’m currently going through my 2017 press cuttings and trying to make sense of them, in the hope that as in (some) previous years I’ll be able to pull together a series of posts summarising some of the most newsworthy stories of the year. In case I don’t manage to get that done (after all, … [Read More]
Trump book finds unexpected reader
I’m not sure who did the photoshopping (I came across it on this tweet, so I’ll credit @darren_tenerife) but it’s too good not to share: [Read More]
That Robert Kelly BBC interview…
Gathered together in one place for your entertainment… The original live BBC interview with Robert Kelly in March 2017: A follow-up interview with the whole family: Ellen DeGeneres analyses the footage: And the best spoof I’ve come across: The Guardian has an interview with Robert Kelly here. [Read More]
The mystery of Kim Jong Nam’s assassination solved
You couldn’t make this up. Or maybe you could. Even though I suspect it’s a fake cover posted online to make people go out and buy the paper itself (which I would do if it weren’t cold outside), it’s still too good not to share. Thanks to Paul Matthews for spotting this gem (also to … [Read More]
Two leaders and their shoes
A couple of photographs doing the rounds of social media this week: Sources: Park Geun-hye | Kim Jong-un [Read More]
Looking back at 2015: Domestic news
Our final look back at 2015: mainly domestic news stories from South Korea. In the news After 62 years of adultery being a criminal offence in the ROK, the constitutional court decided to decriminalise it by a vote of 7 to 2. Four out of ten married Korean males heaved a sigh of relief and shares … [Read More]
Found in London’s Japan Centre: kimchi lemonade
Kimchi flavoured lemonade is down in price – can’t imagine why. But according to Rocket News, who have also sampled curry, octopus and chili pepper Ramune sodas: “It’s damn good!” [Read More]
KWK Performance: Ongals in Babbling Comedy, 1-2 Aug
These guys were hugely entertaining when they came to the Edinburgh Fringe (LKL review here), and they’ve also entertained us at the Thames Festival. They are also the first comedy act to have performed at the Seoul Arts Centre – so do support them when they come to the Rose Theatre Perfordian Factory: Ongals in … [Read More]
Korean girls on One Direction
Last week one of the interviewees in Yoon Sungwon‘s video says Zayn Malik is “too buttery” and that he “reminds me of a camel.” A couple of days later it’s announced that he’s leaving One Direction. “I can’t do this anymore,” he told a tabloid newspaper. The same girl says that Harry Styles’s nostrils are … [Read More]
Now, what’s that book by Salman Rushdie called?
North Korea’s rant about Channel 4’s planned TV series has now been translated into English on the KCNA Japanese website. Like most of their rants, it’s entertaining in small doses. I’ve often wondered why they invest in a translator that is only semi-competent. Here’s a select quote from the press release: The British authorities should … [Read More]
The Kimchi Slap (in case you haven’t seen it elsewhere)
Here’s the full clip from the MBC TV Drama Everybody, Kimchi. The incident in question is at 1’30”: If you’re happy with .gifs, here’s the cut-down version. I wonder how many shirts were ruined rehearsing this scene… [Read More]
Dance videos, tasteless films and hair promotions – different ways to annoy the DPRK authorities
It’s not just the Americans and the Brits who annoy the North Korean establishment with their irreverant lèse-majesté. Now the Chinese are doing it too. So far the video has been left online: And a reminder of the two other things that recently got the DPRK establishment annoyed: an upcoming American comedy film, and a … [Read More]
Kim Yuna’s Lark of Emergency and other popular classics
Browsing in the Hankyoreh yesterday I came across some charming pictures of Queen Yuna. This particular one, with the famous yellow logo on the CD cover … … got me googling for Deutsche Grammophon compilations of Kim’s backing tracks. And I came across this: Scrolling down to the tracklist I find that the label hasn’t … [Read More]
Jungho Oak’s extreme yoga and Sun Salutations
One of LKL’s favourite exhibitions of 2013 was Oak Jungho’s solo show at 43 Inverness Street. And that wasn’t just because at the opening viewing, if you sneaked into the kitchen and asked nicely, you were given a glass of single malt instead of the more usual wine or beer. Whisky, at a private view? … [Read More]
Some Quite Interesting Korean folk expressions
The witty comedy quiz show QI is now in its 11th series for the BBC, focusing on Quite Interesting facts connected with things that begin with the letter K. Plenty of scope for things Korean to crop up, then. In the episode that screened on 21 September, a series of Korean folk expressions came up. … [Read More]