London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

A review of the Korean cultural year 2019

A review of some of the highlights and trends in the Korean cultural year, primarily in London but also with half an eye to anything we might have seen elsewhere in the UK. The review is a personal one, inevitably skewed towards the events we managed to get to. Introduction This time last year I … [Read More]

Making and Sharing Kimchi Project: the 2019 Kimjang Festival

The culmination of many months’ preparation is here. Kimjang: Making and Sharing Kimchi is a project made possible by money raised by National Lottery players. It involves recording, archiving and distributing 20 authentic kimchi recipes and personal Kimjang experiences from North, South and Chinese-Korean residents, and hosting an annual Kimjang Festival on New Malden High … [Read More]

BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference Project at Kingston University

Media & Communications & Music at Kingston University present: BTS (방탄소년단): A Global Interdisciplinary Conference Project Dates: Saturday 4 January – Sunday 5 January 2020 Venue: John Galsworthy Building | Penrhyn Road campus | Penrhyn Road | Kingston upon Thames | Surrey KT1 2EE Price: to be confirmed Booking and full conference programme is now … [Read More]

Kingston’s Korean Harvest Festival 2019

This year’s Kingston Korean Harvest Festival, organised by Korean British Cultural Exchange, forms part of the broader Kingston River Heritage Festival in partnership with Totally Thames. One of the strands of the Harvest Fest is a community dance project, which will be repeated the following day, Sunday 15 September, in the Scoop outside City Hall, … [Read More]

Remembering the Sewol – the campaign’s next phase

This month Remembering Sewol UK is moving from their regular location at Trafalgar Square, where they have had a monthly presence for over five years, to New Malden – London’s ‘Koreatown’. They will be providing leaflets, yellow ribbons and badges to the public and engage in conversation with those who are interested in or affected … [Read More]

2019 Independence Day Korean Festival in New Malden

The celebrations by the Korean community are often a word-of-mouth thing. Everyone knows they’re going to happen — at least, everyone in the Korean community — but no-one seems to want to publicise it to non-Koreans. So credit to Wook Kim for posting a video about the upcoming New Malden celebrations on Facebook. The festivals … [Read More]

Korean Arts Festival 2019 in Kingston Parish Church

Korean senior citizens display their talents, along with the Thames Philharmonia, on 4 May: Korean Arts Festival 2019 All Saints Church Kingston | 14-16 Market Place | Kingston upon Thames KT1 1JP Saturday 4 May 2019, 4pm Tickets: £12 (Performance+ Including 1 glass of wine) | Early Bird Ticket £10 | Under 13 & Over … [Read More]

Kingston School of Art and Royal School of Needlework collaborate with Hanbok Advancement Centre

The first stage of an innovative collaboration between the Hanbok Advancement Centre, Kingston School of Art and the Royal School of Needlework had its first public exhibition last week at Kingston University’s Stanley Picker Gallery. The collaboration was the brainchild of Justina Jang, who through Korean British Cultural Exchange shares Korean culture with London and … [Read More]

Hanbok-inspired fashion on show in Kingston University

An international project in which the Royal School of Needlework collaborated with the Korean Hanbok Advancement Centre, KBCE and Kingston University, has offered a unique opportunity for students to create exhibitable works which creatively reinterpreted elements of the traditional Korean dress (Hanbok) using both traditional and contemporary hand embroidery techniques. The finished pieces by Kingston … [Read More]

The Kimjang Project is officially launched

The Kimjang Project launched yesterday in New Malden with congratulatory messages from the Mayor of Kingston Thay Thayalan and the local MP Sir Ed Davey among others. The project celebrates the various aspects of kimjang, for example the communal character of kimchi-making and its health-giving properties. New Malden, sometimes known as New Mal-dong (뉴몰동), as … [Read More]

Little Pyongyang Screening with Q+A with Mr Choi

Join the Korea Future Initiative and Connect: North Korea on Dec 3rd for the first screening of ‘Little Pyongyang’ to feature a Q&A with the documentary’s star, Mr Choi Joong-hwa. The screening will take place in New Malden Methodist Church. Doors open at 7.15pm. Tickets in advance are £5; £7 on the doors. Proceeds will … [Read More]

Photo gallery: Kingston Korean Harvest Fest 2018

The weather wasn’t very kind to the organisers and visitors for the 2018 Chuseok celebrations in Kingston’s market square. But still there was an enthusiastic turnout, especially for the Kpop performances. LKL managed to make it towards the end of the afternoon, which means we missed the opening ceremony with the Korean ambassador and Ed … [Read More]