Too many books, not enough time to read them, or space to store them. Encouragingly, in a skim of the upcoming publication lists I had no problems finding plenty of books on a wide range of interesting topics. No longer it seems is the reading public (or the publishers’ perception thereof) solely interested in that … [Read More]
Category: 2017 year-end posts
New and upcoming literature and fiction titles for 2018
From classic Joseon dynasty ghost stories, via historical fiction set in the reign of Queen Min, to the latest in translated literature, we take a look at some of the books to look forward to in 2018. Our look at non-fiction titles can be found here. Contemporary Korean literature in translation Hwang Sok-yong’s novel At … [Read More]
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]
President Moon’s 2018 New Year Message
Here is the text of President Moon Jae-in’s 2018 New Year Message, sourced from the Blue House website. Fellow Koreans, The New Year of 2018 has arrived. I hope each and every one of you and your family will enjoy better days filled with joy and laughter throughout the New Year. We all have prevailed … [Read More]
Kim Jong Un’s 2018 New Year Address
The following is the text of Kim Jong Un’s 2018 New Year Address, sourced from Rodong Sinmun: Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made the New Year Address for 2018. The full text of the New Year Address reads: Dear fellow countrymen and brave service personnel of the People’s Army, Dear compatriots, Today, recollecting with … [Read More]
A Review of London Korean cultural year 2017
It feels like it’s been an incredibly busy year, and as I come to write this review I realise that, much more so than in previous years, many of the things that have been memorable I haven’t had time to write about – and maybe won’t. I’ve written separately about the films it was possible … [Read More]
A look back at some of the books of 2017
This year, I haven’t even come close to keeping up with the volume of newly-published literature in translation, let alone the plethora of new non-fiction. Perhaps to balance my feelings of guilt at falling behind the pace of new publications, I’ve tried to make inroads into my guilt pile in respect of previous years – … [Read More]
[Updated] A further look back at movies from 2017
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Two Korea-based critics have published lists of their top movies of the year. Many of them were screened in London this year and merited a mention in our own roundup which you can find here. And while the two critics have a lot more enthusiasm for Okja than I do both of them highlight some … [Read More]
A look back at some of the films of 2017
A review of some of the films that screened in London during the 2017 – another busy year. For me the undoubted highlight of the London film year was the Bae Chang-ho retrospective at the London Korean Film Festival: a chance to see a couple of his movies – including the classic Whale Hunting (1984) – … [Read More]
Season’s greetings to all our readers
As Team GB’s great hope for the Pyeongchang 2018 speed skating event gets some last minute tips from his Korean coach, once again it’s time to wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year. Have a peaceful break. As in previous years, thanks are due to Jieun Kim aka The Drawing Hand … [Read More]