London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

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 … [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]

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 … [Read More]

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 … [Read More]

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 … [Read More]

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 … [Read More]

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 … [Read More]

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 … [Read More]

London band Ooberfuse join Yoon Band in Seoul Amnesty gig

Woolwich-based electropop duo Ooberfuse will be playing on Seoul with YB (Yoon Do-hyun’s band) as part of an Amnesty International project in support of refugees everywhere. The music video for the band’s upcoming single features the well-known North Korean exile and campaigner Jihyun Park, along with her daughter. This is an interesting project and I … [Read More]