Yesan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, 11 November 2018. In the first half of the 19th century, although the Yi family was on the throne, much of the power in the land was actually wielded by the Andong Kim family who had intermarried with the royal family. One member of the royal family, Yi Ha-eung, resorted to rather unusual […]
Places: South Korea
Screening: Under the Sky of Seoul
The fourth screening in LEAFF’s K-Cinema 100 series: Under the Sky of Seoul (서울의 지붕밑) Dir. Lee Hyeong-pyo (1961, 115 mins) Tuesday 7 May 2019 The Cinema Museum | The Master’s House | 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road) | London SE11 4TH | www.cinemamuseum.org.uk Doors from 6pm, screening at 7pm | Book tickets SYNOPSIS : This […]
Screening: Holiday in Seoul
LEAFF’s third screening in the K-Cinema 100 series: Holiday in Seoul (서울의 휴일) Dir. Lee Yong-min (1956, 90min) Wednesday 1st May 2019 The Cinema Museum | The Master’s House | 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road) | London SE11 4TH | www.cinemamuseum.org.uk Doors from 6pm, screening at 7pm | Book tickets SYNOPSIS: A couple decide to spend […]
Drinking Boys & Girls Choir play the Windmill Brixton
Having been supporting Say Sue Me and Otoboke Beaver on their UK, Daegu’s Drinking Boys and Girls Choir get their first UK headline gig. You can find their album Keep Drinking on iTunes, Spotify and elsewhere. Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, Ghost Car + more Monday 6 May 2019, 8:00 pm £5.50adv (more on the […]
2018 travel diary 3 – The Smile of Baekje
10 – 11 November 2018. My trips to Korea are usually preceded by a hurried piece of research on the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) website trying to find out what notable items of tangible or intangible heritage, or what other historic or scenic sites there might be, to attract an inquisitive traveller to the places […]
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 […]
An adoptee returns to her home town
Bella Frey, who recently reviewed The Return – the closing film of LKFF 2018 – tells us about her own personal return earlier this year. A tale of the unexpected… My head is still swimming from my recent trip to Korea. It was in part planned to be a personal pilgrimage to re-visit places from […]
2018 travel diary 2 – Chollipo revisited
10 November 2018. In Chollipo’s famous Arboretum the best of the Autumn colour had finished, but there were still some good reds, oranges and yellows to be found, and the grasses were particularly fine. In October last year this new statue of Carl Ferris Miller, Chollipo’s founder, was installed in this secluded area in the […]
2018 travel diary 1 – Mallipo out of season
9 – 10 November 2018. The first two nights of this year’s trip were spent on Mallipo beach, Taean-gun, because I liked the place so much when I visited last year. And I still like it. There’s not much more to say, other than it’s far preferable to Busan’s Haeundae beach. Next door to Mallipo […]
Exhibition: Taste of Korea — Jeonju
The KCC’s final exhibition of the year takes you on a trip to Korea’s culinary capital: Taste of Korea: Jeonju 22 Nov 2018 – 12 Jan 2019 | Mon-Fri: 10am – 6pm Sat: 11am – 5pm Korean Cultural Centre UK In partnership with the Korea Traditional Culture Center The Taste of Korea: Jeonju introduces this […]
Book review: Mary Lynn Bracht — White Chrysanthemum
Mary Lynn Bracht: White Chrysanthemum Penguin Random House 2018, 320pp White Chrysanthemum, the debut novel from Mary Lynn Bracht, tells the story of two sisters, brought up on Jeju Island, who were tragically separated in the last years of the Second World War. The elder sister, Hana, is abducted into sexual slavery by a Japanese […]
Mun•Bang•Sa•U – The Friends of the Scholar
The KCCUK’s contribution to London Craft Week 2018: Mun•Bang•Sa•U – The Friends of the Scholar Korean Cultural Centre | Grand Buildings | 1-3 Strand | London WC2N 5BW main entrance on Northumberland Avenue 24 April – 26 May Workshop, 12 May 14:00 – 15:00 (Register via info@kccuk.org.uk) As part of the Korea/UK season, the Korean […]
Theatre visit: 1446 – The Story of King Sejong the Great
Visitors to Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, and anyone with a cursory acquaintance with Korean history, will know of the existence of King Sejong. His statue dominates the broad avenue that leads southwards from Gwanghwamun itself, gazing into the distance towards the other great hero of Joseon history, Admiral Yi Sun-shin. Are the life and achievements of […]
Seminar: Yeoju and King Sejong the Great
Late notice of a seminar about the achievements of King Sejong, and about the city of Yeoju. Yeoju has a special association with Sejong – among other things he is buried there. The seminar will be conducted by the vice-mayor of Yeoju at the Korean Cultural Centre UK. Please RSVP under this Facebook post if […]
South Korea: Earth’s Hidden Wilderness – BBC2 documentary
To complement their coverage of the winter Olympics, the BBC is screening what looks like an interesting documentary covering things you might not often see in coverage of the peninsula. With plenty of Korean experts advising and behind the camera, this should be well worth a watch. South Korea – Earth’s Hidden Wilderness BBC2, 8:00pm […]
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 […]
Jeju teachers in Kingston exchange
I do like receiving these occasional press releases from Kingston Council as I wouldn’t normally get to hear about things like this: Kingston schools welcome teachers from Korea in cultural exchange programme Seven teachers from Jeju in South Korea, Kingston’s partner town, are working in local schools and staying with local families as part of […]