London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Lecture – Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern

To coincide with the current exhibition at the KCC, Korean Painting and Craft Art: Creations from Tradition, there’s a special lecture on 2 December. We are delighted to invite you our special lecture, “Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern”, on 2nd of December 2008. The lecturer, Professor Pak Youngsook received PhD from Heidelberg University and taught … [Read More]

Barking Dogs screens at the KCC

The Korean Cultural Centre completes its retrospective of Bong Joon-ho’s works this month with his first feature, the entertaining Barking Dogs Never Bite (플란다스의 개) (2000), starring Lee Seong-jae and Bae Doo-na. As with Bong’s subsequent films, there’s plenty of humour amid the drama, and this one is well worth checking out, particularly for the … [Read More]

Blight, Hope and Photoshop

“This is not a Korean exhibition” announced Lee Chan-Buom, Director of the Cultural Cooperation Division of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as he introduced the panellists at a fascinating discussion to coincide with the “Blight and Hope” exhibition at the KCC. With sponsorship from the British Council and the UNDP, there was to … [Read More]

“Poverty Seen through the Lens” at KCC

Notice of the upcoming show at the KCC, featuring Korean and non-Korean photographers An international photography exhibition on the topic of global poverty will be held at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, from 21 October to 4 November 2008, under the title of “Blight and Hope: Poverty Seen Through the Lens,” hosted by the Korean … [Read More]

Bong Joon-ho month at the KCC

This month gives you an opportunity to see two of the best films to have come out of Korea – or anywhere – this century. Both star Song Kang-ho, both are by director Bong Joon-ho, who debuted in 2000 with the amazing Barking Dogs Never Bite. On 9 October, there’s the film which provided koreanfilm.org.uk … [Read More]

Korea at 60: Forwards and Upwards

From the KCC website: The government of the Republic of Korea was established on August 15, 1948 after three years of U.S. military administration following liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Date: 6 October 2008 13 October 2008 Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK The exhibition is organised by Korean Culture and Information Service, and presented by … [Read More]

Chihwaseon screens at the KCC

The next screening at the KCC, on Thursday 25 September, is Chihwaseon (2002), Im Kwon-taek’s bio-pic of one of Korea’s most famous painters, Jang Seung-eop, also known as Owon. The film features two of Korea’s most well-known actors, Choi Min-sik as Owon and Ahn Sung-ki as his patron Kim Byung-moon. Synopsis: During the 1850s, KIM … [Read More]

KCC talk: Images of Korean Women

A reminder of the upcoming lecture at the KCC, Wednesday 24 September. Lecture Title: The Image of Korean Women based on the Tale of Chunhyang Date / Time: 24th September 2008, 18:30-19:30 Lecturer: Prof LIM Jeong Taeg (Director, Institute of Media Arts, Yonsei Univ.) A Tale of Chunhyang: 13th Century, young Mongryong, Namwan Province’s governor’s … [Read More]

Le Grand Chef screens at the KCC

This Thursday’s screening is Le Grand Chef. 7pm, 11 September at the KCC Synopsis At a press conference, a cooking knife of a special spirit is being presented to the public. The knife belongs to the last Korean royal chef of the Chosun Dynasty who cut his arms with this knife to show his loyalty … [Read More]

Vessels Gallery talk at the KCC

A reminder of the lecture “Two Perspectives on UK & Korean Ceramics” at the KCC on Tuesday 9 September. I’ll be up in Cambridge watching Springtime on the Peninsula (1941) at the BAKS conference, so if anyone feels like providing a report of the lecture for this site, feel free. Here’s some useful background, courtesy … [Read More]

Beginners’ Korean at the KCC – Season 2

The KCC has just opened registration for the next round of Korean language classes for beginners. The first season was two times oversubscribed, so here’s the opportunity for those who missed out last time round. In the second season, the beginners’ classes are Saturday mornings at 11am. Those who are currently in the beginners’ class … [Read More]

Saturday documentaries at the KCC

Every Saturday from late August and throughout September there will be screenings of a documentary about the remarkable Silla Dynasty “Sarira Casket of Kameun Temple” at the KCC (right). Screenings will last around 20 minutes, and are provisionally scheduled for noon, 2pm and 4pm: Impossible to replicate with modern technology, this 1300 year-old Sarira Casket … [Read More]

B-boys promote Korean tourism at KCC

It’s now more than a year since the somewhat controversial launch of the Korea, Sparkling tourism brand. As I suspected at the time, people would get used to it in due course, and now the logo has become a familiar feature on the various tourist literature available. The branding, together with the Han Style campaign … [Read More]