In the past few days I’ve loaded into Flickr some photos from my recent long weekend in Seoul and Busan. Nothing terribly sophisticated, and I rather overdid the pictures of pretty palace rooves, but I had some nice weather. Photos are on my Flickr page: Busan | Changdeokgung | Deoksugung | Namdaemun There are also … [Read More]
Post Series: Korea Trip 2008
A visit to the Whanki Museum (환기 미술관)
The Korea Tourist Office website advises us that Kim Hwan-gi (1913-1974) (known internationally as Kim Whanki — and he signs his paintings just plain “Whanki”) “was Korea’s top artist of modernism”. It is therefore frustrating that when you go into the Tourist Information Offices in Insadong no-one has heard of him, still less of the … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 5: Buamdong and home
Insadong, Seoul, Tuesday 19 February: a final browse in Insadong before catching the shuttle bus to the Whanki Museum. After which a quick browse around Bukchon and Samcheong-dong and it was time to head for the aiport. I pick up the shuttle bus at the Koreana hotel and pretty soon I’m in Incheon, where the … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 4: meetups in Seoul
Nampodong, Busan, Monday morning 18 February: a quick stroll around the Jagalchi fish market before I catch the subway to Busan Station and buy a ticket for the KTX back to Seoul. As we pass through Milyang, setting for Secret Sunshine, I feel compelled to take a photo. On arriving in Seoul, a quick bag … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 3: Busan
Insadong, Seoul, Sunday morning 17 February: an early start for the 9:05 KTX to Busan. I am met at the other end by Nam-hee and Min, who have taken it upon themselves to show me round. First, a foaming Samgyetang in Seoul Samgyetang in the Nampodong area. I reckognise the environs from a previous stay … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 2: Sweetpea and the Secret Garden
Insadong, Saturday morning 16 February: I had somehow managed to get back to the hotel from Itaewon but the morning is a write-off. I am not best company for lunch with Justina of the Korean Cultural Promotion Agency. She’s in Seoul trying to drum up support (read: money) for the Dano Festival in Trafalgar Square … [Read More]
Choi Young-rim at the Deoksu palace
In the grounds of the Deoksugung in downtown Seoul is an outpost of the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Maybe your average sightseer interested in palace architecture is not interested in popping in to see some paintings. But the exhibition currently showing is well worth a visit. The exhibition showcases two artists — one Japanese, … [Read More]
Namdaemun before, during and after
First, some pictures of Namdaemun as it used to be: The YouTube Namdaemun Then and Now group contains loads of more recent, pre-fire, images. Here’s a couple of samples: Next, a YouTube (from MBC) of the fire itself: Some spectacular stills of the fire are on pwalks’ flickr page (HT to Seoul Man … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 1: the ruins of Namdaemun
LKL’s 2008 visit to the land of morning calm was not a terribly well-planned affair. I was over in Hong Kong on a business trip, and managed to tack on a Korea extension at the end, which was little more than a long weekend. The itinerary ended up as follows: 14-15 Feb: The ruins of … [Read More]