London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Are Koreans really the Irish of Asia?

A St Patrick’s Day special from Tom Coyner. This was written for the Korea Times, but never got published. It is published here with his permission. Read it, then go buy his book, Doing Business in Korea, which is an expanded version of his Mastering Business in Korea mentioned in the below article. The stereotype … [Read More]

The art of Daechuri

Many thanks to David Kilburn for pointing out a video project by Bum Lee, animation artist and illustrator. It’s a short film that he shot at Daechuri, a farming village which is to be evacuated to make way for the expanded US base at Pyongtaek. David’s take: I found it creative both in film making … [Read More]

DPRK on the BBC and elsewhere

On Radio Three, on BBC TV, and also on the National Geographic Channel. First up, what you’ve all been waiting for: the screening of Dan Gordon’s latest film, Crossing the Line. It’s on BBC4 on 22 March. Set the video, because of course most of you in London will be having some Ferrero Rocher with … [Read More]

Does hybrid music work?

I looked in briefly at St John’s Smith Square on Sunday for the Thames Philharmonia concert. Hee-jo Kim’s Kayagum Concerto in A minor was the first item on the programme. Here is an extract from the programme notes, written by John Morrison: This concerto is based on the most traditional sanjoh with its classic and … [Read More]

Two free talks this Friday (16 March)

Firstly, Chatham House Korea Discussion Group: 13.15-14.30 (Lunch 12.45-13.15 – £10 charge) Keeping the Flame of Human Rights in the Korean Peninsula: The Role of an International Human Rights NGO, Amnesty International in the Two Koreas Speaker: Rajiv Narayan Chair: Jim Hoare Further details on the Chatham House website. Secondly, SOAS Centre for Korean Studies … [Read More]

A meeting with itta

By Anna Lindgren While I’ve come across some more or less experimental Korean music over the years, nothing had prepared me for itta (있다). I was swept away by the 11th track on her first official album, “11”, and asked her to do an interview with me. Fortunately, she accepted. At 4 years of age, … [Read More]

Through the Looking Glass closes soon

It’s your last chance to catch the Through the Looking Glass exhibition at Asia House. Quite by chance, and unfortunately making no reference to the show, the Times over the weekend featured one of the artists in a weekly column highlighting what’s hot on the web arts-wise. Sweet Dreams Crayon drawings by small children are … [Read More]

Hotlinks disabled

As I warned a week ago, I’ve now blocked hotlinks – or at least I think I have. I’ll be checking some of your sites to see whether it’s worked or not. If any of you think you’re a charity case and deserve to have some of my bandwidth, please email me. Update 15 March. … [Read More]

Kim So-yong: In Between Days

If you’re looking for some light entertainment to take your mind off things after a hard day at the office, So Yong Kim’s In Between Days is probably not for you. Like much non mainstream cinema, it demands effort from you. Plot-wise, there’s not much to report. It’s a teenage Korean girl growing up in … [Read More]

Park Jung-hyun #5: On & On

Lena Park (박정현) delivers a top-notch R&B album with no real weak spots. Some of the numbers could come straight from a Lee Soo-young album – big orchestral sound backing a great tune – while others are more internationally inspired. There are some almost celtic influences – shades of Enya (at the slower end) and … [Read More]

LKL has landed…

… sort of. It was a bumpy landing. On the basis of 5 minute’s playing: I’ve lost all the BlogWatch feeds (easy to fix). Spam Karma doesn’t like you commenting. Don’t know what’s going on there. I’ve also had my email inbox deluged with 300 spam comments to moderate. Probably a related challenge. So I’ve … [Read More]

Martin Limón: The Door to Bitterness

Soho Press, New York, 2005 Martin Limón’s fourth book in the series featuring George Sueño and Ernie Bascom continues some familiar themes. Our drink-sodden heroes, officers in the CID of the US 8th Army in Seoul in the 1970s, as usual demonstrate their physical strength in tackling villains and their iron constitutions as their bodies … [Read More]

LKL is on the move…

This site will not be updated for the next few days. The removal men are in, they’re putting everything in packing cases, wrapping everything up nicely, and hopefully unpacking things and putting them in the right rooms at the other end. Until you see a post which says “LKL has Landed” this site will be … [Read More]

Kayagum Concerto at St Johns

Byung-yun Yu conducts the Thames Philharmonia at St John’s Smith Square, 7pm, on Sunday 11 March. Mi-sun Gwon is the soloist in Hee-jo Kim’s Concerto for Sanjo Kayagum and Orchestra. Marialena Fernandes is soloist in Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto, and the programme is completed by Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony Tickets £12, £10 and £8 from the … [Read More]