Belated congratulations to London based violist Julie Park for winning the prestigious Arts Club Sir Karl Jenkins Award in October. She follows violinists Songha Choi, who won second prize in 2019, and Joo Yeon Sir who won the prize in 2014. Julie Park performs tomorrow in Korean Cultural Centre UK’s ‘Home Theatre’ season of online […]
Category: News and Current Affairs
Shin Seung-tae’s new Trot persona
When Lee Hee Moon announced the disbandment of his glam rock minyo outfit Ssing Ssing last year, I forewent gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, prophesying instead that an abundance of interesting projects must surely follow. And Lo, it did come to pass. Female vocalist Chu Da-hye started her band, Chudahye and The Chagis […]
Eat Out to Help Out your local Korean Restaurant
In these terrible times, when people are too nervous to venture out onto public transport, still less to their local restaurants, I’ve been fearing that some of my own favourite haunts may not survive the crisis. As you may know, to try to encourage people back to restaurants and to save a vital part of […]
V+A Korean programme receives boost from MCST
Great news for the V&A’s programme of Korean activities and gallery: V&A announces landmark partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism 17 June 2020: The V&A has today announced a new five-year partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea. This major grant will enable the redevelopment of the museum’s […]
Sky Castle: would you believe, the first K-drama I’ve ever watched. And what fun it is!
People might find it strange that, despite the fact that I’ve been following Korean culture for 20 years now, I’ve never watched a complete TV Drama series. There have been several reasons for this, but basically it boils down to lack of time, and the prohibitive cost of the DVD boxed sets. I made the […]
KJOU: the new UK hallyu mag
Over on the KCC Facebook page they recently posted about a new hallyu magazine: KJOU. I visited the magazine’s website today and ordered myself a copy of their first issue. If you’re interested, there are a few copies left, but as the second issue is imminent don’t hesitate because they’ll be gone soon. Of course, […]
Korea Society Webcast: Korean Election Analysis
Stanford University Professor Gi-Wook Shin joins Korea Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a timely breakdown of the April 15 Korean legislative elections. Professor Shin, Director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Director of Korean Studies, and William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea, examines the voice of the electorate and impact of the National […]
KEI webinar: The Implications of South Korea’s National Assembly Elections
This webinar, organised by the Korea Economic Institute of America, seems to be open to anyone interested, but you do need to register with KEI. The Implications of South Korea’s National Assembly Elections Thursday, April 16, 2020 9:00am-10:00am U.S. EDT | 2:00pm-3:00pm U.K. BST | 10:00pm-11:00pm KST Livestreamed via Zoom Register via KEI website Featuring: […]
Bora Kwon interviewed in the Guardian
Bora Kwon, Labour councillor for Hammersmith and Fulham, and one of only two councillors of Korean background in the UK, gets a nice interview in the Guardian this week. She talks about her life in the UK, politics and of course health. Read the interview in full here. You can follow Councillor Kwon on Twitter […]
KCCUK announces temporary closure to the public
Along with many other cultural venues, the KCCUK has announced its decision “to suspend or cancel our public programme, courses and events (music concerts, film screenings, literature and education programmes) effective immediately, until further notice”. They say that “[we] hope that we can resume our programme from Mid-April”. Let’s keep fingers crossed but I fear […]
Book review: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Cho Nam-joo: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 Translated by Jamie Chang Scribner, 2020, 163pp Originally published as 82년생 김지영, Minumsa, 2016. Kim Jiyoung, as the blurb on the back cover of this translated novel tells us, is every woman. Her given name is unremarkable, familiar, and of course her family name is the most common in […]
Wolfson College workshop: Korea’s Strategy – Economic Success, Popular Culture, and Global Art CANCELLED
Another Covid-19 casualty. This conference is postponed and will hopefully be reconvened at a later date. Wolfson College Oxford is hosting an afternoon workshop on topical themes related to South Korea. Korea’s Strategy: Economic Success, Popular Culture, and Global Art Friday 20 March 2020, 1pm – 4pm Wolfson Auditorium | Wolfson College | Linton Road […]
2020 LSE East Asia Forum: Youth in the East Asia – Pioneers of Change CANCELLED
Another Coronavirus casualty The LSE hosts its second big conference of the year: 2020 LSE East Asia Forum: “Youth in the East Asia: Pioneers of Change” Saturday 28 March 2020, 10am – 5pm Old Theatre | Old Building | London School of Economics | London WC2R 1DH Tickets | £15.00 (Early Bird Student) | £30.00 […]
Korea beyond the headlines: the 2020 LSESU Korea Future Forum
Claire Evans, a member of the LSE Student Union’s Korea Future Association, introduces this Saturday’s conference. The LSE Student Union’s Korea Future Association takes pride in being the largest student-run organisation in the world dedicated to discussion of Korean peninsula issues. Its annual conference, the Korea Future Forum, brings together leading experts from around the […]
2020 LSE SU Korea Future Forum: Korea’s Ascent to the Global Stage
News of this years Korea Future Forum at the LSE: LSESU Korea Future Forum 2020: Korea’s Ascent to the Global Stage LSE Old Theatre | Houghton St | London WC2A 2AE Saturday, 29 February 2020 from 10:00-17:30 £10.00 (Early Bird Student) | £30.00 (Early Bird Standard) | Buy tickets Official website: lsesukfa.com Panel 1. Fourth […]
Glittering Hands screens at SOAS
SOAS Korean Social and Environmental Justice Society host a moving documentary that will appeal to those who loved Planet of Snail. You can watch an Arirang interview with the director here. Glittering Hands 반짝이는 박수소리 + director Bora Lee-Kil Q&A Wednesday, 29 January 2020 at 18:30 SOAS | Thornhaugh Street | London WC1H 0XG Room […]
SOAS seminar: Geospatial Mapping in DPRK Human Rights Monitoring
The first SOAS Friday evening seminar of 2020. A version of this talk will also be presented the previous day at the human rights seminar at City University of London. Geospatial Mapping in North Korean Human Rights Monitoring Dr Sarah Son (Sheffield University) 17 January 2020, 5:00 – 7:00 pm SOAS | Paul Webley Wing […]