In the second of two articles (the first looked at the world of books) we look at some of the releases of 2015 that caught our eye. Film Two Kickstarter-funded films to which LKL contributed came to fruition: Twinsters, the story of twin sisters adopted in different continents who discover each other through Facebook; and … [Read More]
Category: 2015 year-end posts
A look back at the books of 2015
In place of our annual “LKL Awards” post, we look at some of the highlights of 2015 in the area of books, film and music. Apart from the field of literature in translation (and of course I’m talking Han Kang here), there are no clear winners or I haven’t covered enough ground to choose one. … [Read More]
A review of the London Korean Year 2015
What were my highspots of the London Korean Year 2015? Read the below for some clues: Food 2015 was definitely the year that Korean food started consolidating its position in the UK. Here are a few highlights: The Anglo-Korean sauce company Yogiyo! got funding in business reality show Dragons’ Den; Judy Joo’s Jinjuu opened off Regent Street … [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]
Looking back at 2015: DPRK and regional news
In our third review of 2015, we look at some of the North Korea related news, and stories which put the peninsula in a wider East Asian context. DPRK Human rights and defectors Shin Dong-hyuk, the most prominent campaigner among the defector community, admitted that some of his testimony (eg, in Escape from Camp 14) … [Read More]
Looking back at 2015: Entertainment news
In the second of four retrospective articles, we recall some of the entertainment stories that caught our eye in 2015. We’ve left out a few of the more scurrilous stories. Also, a few sad deaths of people outside the entertainment industry. Entertainment Ode to My Father became the second-biggest box-office hit of all time, boosting … [Read More]
Looking back at 2015: Culture, sport and tourism
In the first of four articles looking back over 2015, we recall some of the culture, sports and heritage stories that made the news. Heritage The historic Baekje sites were listed by UNESCO as world heritage. UNESCO also listed in their Memory of the World register some Confucian woodblock texts and records of the family … [Read More]
Kim Jong Un’s 2016 New Year address
Here is the text of Kim Jong Un’s 2016 New Year Address, as published in today’s Rodong Sinmun: Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, made his address on the New Year, Juche … [Read More]
Season’s Greetings to all our readers
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all of LKL’s readers, friends and contributors. Have a peaceful break. Once again thanks are due to Jieun Kim aka The Drawing Hand for the London Korean Christmas design. Jieun responded wonderfully to my slightly crazy brief: to combine the River Thames with a traditional 일월오봉도 … [Read More]