London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

London Korean Film Festival Announces 2024 Programme

Here’s the official press release for this year’s London Korean Film Festival, released today. Some good things here! Korean Cultural Centre UK announces London Korean Film Festival 2024 Programme Opening Gala Film: Park Beom-su’s VICTORY Closing Gala Film: E.oni’s LOVE IN THE BIG CITY Special Screening: Choi Dong-hoon’s ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE London, 1 … [Read More]

K-Music Festival 2024: an introduction

The programme for the 2024 K-Music Festival is quite possibly the best yet. For LKL, the real gems are the opening and closing events. We hear that the National Changgeuk Company‘s Lear, which opens the festival, is every bit as good as their Trojan Women, which we raved about; and for the closing event pretty … [Read More]

Korean Wave or Korean Tsunami? The Next-Gen Late Night at the Korean Cultural Centre

On Friday 31st May, the Korean Cultural Centre UK hosted its inaugural networking event for young professionals and opinion leaders titled ‘Next Gen Late Night.’ The evening was aimed at bringing people together to discuss not only the explosion of global interest in Korean culture (known as Hallyu) but crucially, as the target audience of … [Read More]

Review: Hera Hyesang Park’s stunning London debut

When faced with the choice of attending a recital by an opera singer I usually politely decline, whatever the reputation of the singer. The prospect of what is usually a selection of operatic arias performed outside of their dramatic context holds little appeal for me, particularly if the recital is accompanied by a piano reduction … [Read More]

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Recent Event updates

Hwang Sok-yong: The Voice of a Divided Nation

With a five-decade-long writing career and Korea’s most prestigious literary prizes under his belt, Hwang Sok-yong is unmatched in depicting the social and political realities of his ruptured homeland. A staunch promoter of the arts, he spent years in exile and prison. It’s a rare honour to welcome him to the Festival, discussing his remarkable life and … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho artist portrait, plus Yeol Eum Son and Clara-Jumi Kang in Barbican 25/26 classical season

For those keen to lock down their diary commitments well in advance, the Barbican has just announced its September 2025 – July 2026 classical music season. For Seong-jin Cho fans, you have four opportunities to see him – including two performances of Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto – in what is billed as an Artist Portrait. … [Read More]

from20 x Hello Gloom — All Eyes on Me tour in London

K-R&B connoisseurs, take note: South Korea’s rising indie stars from20 (ex-BIGSTAR) and HELLO GLOOM (formerly of IMFACT) bring their genre-defying flair to London for the first time. These former idol group members have reinvented themselves through their creative label WAY BETTER, cultivating bold sonic identities rooted in alt-pop melancholy, neo-soul textures, and glitchy visual aesthetics. … [Read More]

BAEKHYUN world tour Reverie in London

EXO member and solo artist BAEKHYUN will be embarking on his first solo world tour since debut. ‘Reverie’ marks BAEKHYUN’s first solo world tour since his debut 13 years ago. As the name suggests, the tour embodies his aspiration to present fans with a dreamlike journey and lasting memories. Significantly, it follows approximately 11 months … [Read More]

The above events list includes recent updates to events which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update confirming venue or ticket link). A chronological listing of all event notices published, most recent first, can be found here. A list of all upcoming events can be found here.

Recent Book updates

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Blood for the Undying Throne [forthcoming]

Nothing can stop the Empire’s insatiable conquest. Not gods, not dragons, not armies. But heroes still rise. The Empire continues to enforce its so-called peace with massive war machines that destroy anything that opposes their might. Though the conquered are wholly at the mercy of the Empire, desperate odds such as these can be fertile … [Read More]

The Self-Esteem Class: Simple Lessons for a Lifetime of Contentment

The Self-Esteem Class teaches us about the influence of self-esteem on our lives and provides practical guidance for building the strongest image of yourself. This book will help anyone who would like to attain higher self-esteem but doesn’t know how to overcome the obstacles they face, as well as help recover the self-esteem of people who … [Read More]

Simple Heart [forthcoming]

In this moving exploration of dual identities reminiscent of Past Lives, a Korean writer’s pregnancy raises questions about her own childhood abandonment. Nana, a Korean playwright, was adopted as a child by a French couple. Before she was Nana, she was Esther Pak, a girl growing up in a Korean orphanage. And before she was Esther … [Read More]

Counsel Culture

From prize-winning Korean author Kim Hye-jin comes the contemplative, superbly-crafted story of a woman scapegoated by sudden tragedy, and the unexpected paths she must wander in search of redemption. Haesoo is a successful therapist and regular guest on a popular TV program. But when she makes a scripted negative comment about a public figure who … [Read More]

Clay Walls

Clay Walls tells the story of Haesu and Chun, immigrants who fled Japanese-occupied Korea for Los Angeles in the decade prior to World War II, and their American-born children. First published in 1986, it offers a portrait of what being Korean in the USA meant in the first half of the twentieth century, exploring themes of … [Read More]

Phantom Limbs

First published in Korean in 2005, Phantom Limbs is Lee Min-ha’s debut book of poetry. Critically lauded for its visceral imagery and world-building through word-play, this collection of surreal and fabulistic poems reminds readers that poems are spells and incantations. Lee Min-ha is a Korean poet based in Seoul. She is the author of five … [Read More]

The above booklist includes recent updates to books which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update to reflect a release of cover art, or a new review). A chronological listing of all books uploaded, most recent first, can be found here.