Korean Iconic; Echoes Now is an exhibition that explores the contemporary history and cultural diversity of Korea through modern art. While Korea’s modern history known to the international community may be summarized by ‘war’ and ‘division,’ this exhibition focuses on discovering the rich and unique aspects of Korean contemporary history through art. This exhibition emphasizes … [Read More]
Place: Kangwon-do
Korean films at BFI Flare 2024
Last year BFI Flare had a Korean focus, giving us four feature films and a short. It’s only natural that this year’s offering won’t quite match up to last year’s feast, but still we have one feature and a short: Heavy Snow (폭설) Dir: Yun Su-ik (2023, 77 mins) Cast: Han So-hee, Han Hae-in Monday … [Read More]
Gallery: Hanji – Paper Compositions
The KCC’s summer exhibition was co-sponsored by the Hanji Development Institute, which is affiliated with the Hanji Theme Park in Wonju, Gangwon-do. Wonju was noted for its mulberry trees, and hence its hanji, in the Sillok from King Sejong’s reign and thus competes with other areas of Korea such as Mungyeong and Jeonju for the … [Read More]
Screening: Autumn, Autumn, at Aperture Asia & Pacific Film Festival
The second one-off screening this year to feature Cheongpyeongsa temple in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do. Both are by director Jang Woo-jin. He must like the place. The screening is part of the Aperture Asia & Pacific Film Festival. Autumn, Autumn (춘천, 춘천) Director: Jang Woo-jin (2016, 78 mins) UK Premiere Tuesday 11 June 18:30 | Book tickets … [Read More]
LKFF 2019 Teaser Screening #1: Winter’s Night
This looks like an interesting start to the KCC’s series of teaser screenings: Winter’s Night (겨울밤에) Director: Jang Woo-jin (2018, 98 mins) Starring: Yang Heung-ju, See Young-hwa Picturehouse Central, Monday 15th April 2019, 6:30pm | Book tickets Picturehouse Central welcomes back the London Korean Film Festival for a UK Premiere of Winter’s Night. One cold … [Read More]
Exhibition: The Winter Wonders of PyeongChang
News of the KCC’s first exhibition of 2018: The Winter Wonders of PyeongChang Korean Cultural Centre UK | Grand Buildings | 1 – 3 Strand | London WC2N 5BW 10 January – 17 February 2018 The Winter Wonders of PyeongChang is an exhibition presented by UK Sport and the Korean Cultural Centre UK. Opened exactly … [Read More]
Radio 3 features highlights from Great Mountains Music Festival
All this week BBC Radio 3 is playing highlights from last year’s Great Mountains Music Festival (대관령국제음악제) – held each summer in Pyeongchang. You can listen to it on iPlayer for the next 30 days. (Thanks to Aidan FC for spotting) Links: Great Mountains Music Festival website. Update: now rebranded Music in Pyeongchang website [Read More]
2015 Travel Diary day 4: the Danoje rituals on Daegwallyeong ridge
Gangneung, Monday 1 June. I turn up at the Chilsadang, Gangneung’s elegant Joseon dynasty town hall building, at 8:30, backpack stuffed with camera equipment, bottled water and snacks to see me through the day. Ten days earlier at the same spot there had been a ceremony which launches the whole Dano month: a ritual called … [Read More]
2015 Travel Diary day 3: Park Soo-keun, King Sejong’s tomb and the journey to Gangneung
Myeongdong, Seoul, Sunday 31 May. Most of the morning I’m faffing around with my bags, working out what I can leave at the hotel in Seoul so that I can travel slightly lighter on the bus down South. For the first time I’ve brought an SLR to Korea with me to get some slightly better … [Read More]
K-Lit Trivia question
Which Korean author is the only person in Korea to have a railway station named after him? A nice little article in the JoongAngDaily about the springtime delights of Chuncheon in Gangwon-do provides the answer. Chuncheon was the birthplace of Kim Yu-jeong (김유정), in January 1908. I can’t say I’m particularly taken with the two … [Read More]
Pyeongchang wins the 2018 Winter Olympics
On Radio 4 this morning an Ex British Olympic chief tipped Pyeongchang to win the 2018 winter olympics by 10 votes today. # Congratulations to the bid team. BBC Sport – Pyeongchang will host the 2018 Winter Olympics http://bbc.in/nDPICE # Inevitably, a lot of the attention became focussed on Kim Yu-na, “Kim Yu-na’s Pyeongchang fashion” … [Read More]
June’s daytime films at the KCCUK share a Kangwon-do theme
Why Kangwon-do? Because it’s Dano time, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. And the place most associated with the Dano festival is Gangneung, Kangwon-do, whose festival rites have been listed at UNESCO. Don’t expect to see the most obvious film associated with Kangwon-do though — the one by Hong Sang-soo — because there … [Read More]
The Dano Festivities
Enjoy the Dano festivities. There’s a nice photo in the Korea Times of the UNESCO-listed Danoje festival from Gangneung, Gangwon-do http://bit.ly/jJbhjz # [Read More]
Yonsama “longs for” Kim Jong-il
Bae Yong-joon in funny photoshopped propaganda poster for DPRK. Doesn't look much like him though. “I want to live in the loving arms of gracious General Kim Jong-il” he’s saying. http://bit.ly/at7z0F #. The image is from the DMZ Museum in Goseong, Gangwon-do, which showw both sides using (South Korean) celebrity pictures to lure the other … [Read More]
Korea’s gardening pedigree
For those, such as me, who have hitherto doubted Korea's gardening pedigree, this article in the Korea JoongAng Daily is well worth a read. Nice pics too. http://bit.ly/9jFO2f # The article covers: Seoul Iris Garden Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong Hantaek Botanical Garden in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Yoo Botanic Garden in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do Korea Botanic … [Read More]
PyeongChang beaten fair and square?
So Korea is not to host the 2014 winter games. Beaten by Sochi in Russia. Cynics will say that the real winners from PyeongChang’s energetic campaign were CNN, who gave PyeongChang’s campaign global reach by screening the commercials (HT to Tom Coyner). Despite the optimism (above), did Korea ever have a hope? A cutting article … [Read More]