London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

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Selected publications

  • Booklist: World Music (8 titles)
    • Traditional Korean Music from ReMidas, at Foyles

      As part of Korean Culture Month, ReMidas will be performing Korean Traditional music with the gayageum and the geomungo, two traditional Korean instruments. ReMidas is a duo featuring two exciting Korean musicians: Ji Hyun Park, who impressed UK audiences in 2019 with an outstanding performance as leader of Hey String, and Min-Young Kim, one of the foremost geomungo … [Read More]

      K-Music Festival 2022: the official press release

      We’re excited at the line-up for this autumn’s K-Music Festival. Here are the full details, with links to the individual gig notices. K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022: Korea across London this autumn Wednesday 5 October – Thursday 24 November 2022 This autumn, as an exhibition ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ opens at the V&A, the K-Music Festival, now … [Read More]

      K-music 2022: Park Jiha

      Park Jiha’s latest album, the critically acclaimed ‘The Gleam’ (2022, tak:til/Glitterbeat) is a gorgeous meditation on the intersection of music and light. She plays the piri, a type of oboe, the saenghwang, a mouth organ, the hammered dulcimer known as the yanggeum and the glockenspiel. There’s a stark clarity to her sound but it has … [Read More]

      K-music 2022: Dongyang Gozupa

      Dongyang Gozupa (translated as “eastern high frequency”) defy description. They stormed the K-Music Festival last year with their wild mix of trail-blazing percussion combined with the yanggeum (hammered dulcimer) to create highly intense and hard-hitting progressive post-rock, merging power and beautiful melodies. Dohyuk Jang – percussion Eunhwa Yun – yanggeum Minhwi Ham – bass Dongyang Gozupa are like … [Read More]

      K-music 2022: Dal:um & ReMidas

      Dal:um, who made their London debut at the Purcell Room last year (LKL review here), open the festival with an intriguing new collaboration with duo ReMidas to create a string quartet of zithers, the gayageum and the geomungo. Despite their similarity these two instruments are surprisingly different in structure, playing technique and tone. Dal:um is … [Read More]

      Tiger is Coming: Leenalchi

      South Korean music icons LEENALCHI have captivated audiences around the globe with their hypnotic performances and offbeat energy. Their combination of K-pop and musical storytelling has garnered millions of views online, but now, for the first time ever, they arrive in the UK to perform live. Expect an electric fusion of rapping, dance, heart-stopping vocal … [Read More]

      Pure Emotions: an interview with Park Jiha

      To coincide with the release of Park Jiha’s new album, The Gleam, which we reviewed yesterday, LKL managed to have a quick conversation with the artist to ask about how light and space influence her musical voice: London Korean Links: How did you get into music? How did this journey in the world of sound … [Read More]

      Music, space and light: Park Jiha’s The Gleam

      The concept behind Park Jiha’s new album ‘The Gleam’ is immediately compelling. The musician finds her inspiration in light and its interaction with the human form during the day. In part, the project was also conceived for a special performance in Tadao Ando’s Meditation Hall at San Museum in Wonju, Korea. Ando’s architecture features light … [Read More]

      Park Jiha: Two-day residency at Cafe OTO

      We’re really excited about Park Jiha’s upcoming visit to London, and looking forward to hearing some live performances from her new album – The Gleam – released on tak:til / Glitterbeat last Friday. We’ve got a review and exclusive mini-interview with the artist coming soon on LKL. In the meanwhile you can stream the album … [Read More]

      The Sound of Nature: Dal:um live at Southbank Centre

      “Korean traditional instruments contain the sound of nature.” This is the opening line of Ha Suyean’s answer to my question regarding what Dal:um would like their international audience to know about ancient Korean instruments gayageum and geomungo. “For someone coming to these two ancient instruments for the first time, what will they discover?”, I had … [Read More]

      K-Music 2021: Dal:um

      Dal:um are a Seoul-based musical duo who challenge the sonic possibilities of Korea’s most well-known traditional string instruments: Dal:um Saturday 6 November 2021 7:45pm, Southbank Centre / Purcell Room | Belvedere Road | London SE1 8XX | Buy tickets Monday 8 November 2021 8pm Norwich Arts Centre | 51 St Benedict’s Street | Norwich NR2 … [Read More]

      K-Music 2021: Black String & Nguyên Lê

      To mark the band’s 10th anniversary, Black String return to the K-Music Festival with their old friend, musical companion, and one of the most versatile jazz guitarists Nguyên Lê. This is an extremely rare opportunity to watch them perform together presenting the masterpieces from Karma, their collaborative work. Black String & Nguyên Lê Grand Junction … [Read More]

      K-Music 2021: Sinnoi + Dongyang Gozupa

      Before heading to WOMEX in Porto, Dongyang Gozupa joins the K-music festival to perform at the Coronet Theatre for a double bill with Sinnoi, a quartet led by vocalist Bora Kim, ‘her flawless voice gliding between the purest of high tones and animalistic growls’ (Songlines). An exciting night with a true mixture of fresh sounds … [Read More]