London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

SOAS online seminar: Translating the Korean War and the national division: reconstruction of narratives in division fiction in Korea

The Korean War and the national division are important events when discussing Korea’s politics, society and culture. These events continue to affect every aspect of Koreans’ lives in modern Korean society from deep in their consciousness. Division fiction in Korea has been written to testify and remember the dark history of the Korean War and … [Read More]

Dreamcatcher: Luck Inside 7 Doors tour

Billboard acclaimed K-pop girl group DREAMCATCHER are coming to London to meet their fans on the Dreamcatcher 2024 World Tour “Luck Inside 7 Doors”, live on February 21 at Troxy. The 7-member girl group has proven their limitless talent by showing off their unique charm through their strong, dynamic tracks with powerful vocals to beautiful, … [Read More]

Lunar New Year with Connect: North Korea

Connect: North Korea is hosting a Lunar New Year event with classical musician and North Korean escapee Emily Yeyoung to celebrate this very special holiday. Join us for drinks, canapés, Emily’s fantastic performance, and a Q&A about her journey from North Korea to the UK. There are only 25 tickets available for this event! Don’t … [Read More]

A review of the Korean cultural year 2023

2023: a year when an environmental artist from Gwangju shared a hug with the King; four K-pop princesses went to Buckingham Palace and received honorary MBEs; and the tolling bell of Jirisan’s Daewonsa temple was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. The year marked the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK … [Read More]

A look back at LEAFF and LKFF 2023

We didn’t get around to writing any detailed reviews of the films that screened at the two big festivals in the autumn of 2023, so it’s time to try to pull some thoughts together before the memories fade entirely, jostled sideways by new ones. There were some sparkly new films which were fun to watch … [Read More]

January events 2024

Happy New Year. And it’s a busier start to the year than usual with no fewer than six live K-pop / hip-hop events. But before I get to the list, here’s a rehearsal for the New Year’s Eve drone show at Gwangalli Beach, Busan. Pretty impressive, though apparently there was a glitch that postponed the … [Read More]

Report on 9th Enlarged Plenum of 8th WPK Central Committee

Sourced from KCNA.KP. The overseas North Koreans provided additional analysis on Twitter. Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA): The Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), the great guide of our country and people, has defended the eternal vitality of socialism, the ideal and future of mankind, and vigorously led its steady development, while confirming the validity of the … [Read More]

SOAS seminar: An Atomic Age Unleashed

This presentation explores the common culture of Cold War scientism and atomic developmentalism in early North and South Korea. While tens of thousands of Koreans were subject to the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, early peninsular analysis of the bombings rarely grappled with the existence of these individuals. The general exclusion of colonial subjects … [Read More]

Su-a Lee: Dialogues, at Celtic Connections 2024

Celebrated South Korean born cellist Su-a Lee draws on her 30 years of musical experience in her stunning debut solo album Dialogues. Continually reaching beyond the classical genre, the top-class chamber musician has worked with exceptional World music artists throughout her career. She is highly sought after for her distinctive sound, expression, and willingness to … [Read More]