London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

New Malden’s 3rd Kimjang Festival

The Kimjang Festival returns to the streets of New Malden this November: Kimjang Festival 2021 Saturday 20 November 2021 New Malden Sharing is giving. This autumn we are back with the heart of Korean tradition and cuisine, Kimjang, which is the traditional and communal process of preparing, making, and sharing kimchi. For those who aren’t … [Read More]

A review of the Korean cultural year 2020

It would be an understatement to say that the cultural year 2020 has been markedly different from previous years. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the cultural scene, with most live events cancelled and event promoters falling back on the internet to provide us with our cultural fixes. Some of these attempts have … [Read More]

The 2020 (online) Kimjang Festival

Did you think that the second lockdown would get in the way of the second Kimjang Festival? Think again. The organisers have been working hard to create an online programme of events looking at how people are making kimchi at home in the UK. There are also spotlights on some innovative restaurants and chefs in … [Read More]

The annual Harvest Fest moves online

Congratulations to the organisers of the annual Korean Harvest Fest for putting something so enticing together in these difficult times. The Chuseok celebrations organised by Korean British Cultural Exchange have moved online this year. Plans for screenings in the heard of Koreatown (New Malden) have had to be shelved at the last minute because of … [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]

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]

Kimjang gets a UNESCO listing

Kimjang, the making and sharing of kimchi in the Republic of Korea, was admitted to the UNESCO register of intangible cultural heritage on 5 December 2013. Note that, like the listing of Arirang, this pan-Korean cultural item has been registered by South Korea. Links: Kimjang page at UNESCO Update 13 December: The South China Morning … [Read More]

FLOTUS makes her own simple kimchi

You can hardly get a higher profile endorser of kimchi than Michelle Obama, who has tweeted a recipe made from napa cabbage in the White House garden. Last week, we picked Napa cabbage in the garden. Now, we're using it to make kimchi in the kitchen. Make it at home: pic.twitter.com/Y0L7dASZ — First Lady- Archived … [Read More]

Chinese upset in kimchi cabbage row

“The Koreans stole Dano from us, and now they’re stealing our cabbages,” say Chinese netizens, according to the Korea Times, following a report that the UN’s Codex Alimentarius Commission will decide to adopt the name “kimchi cabbage” as an international standard for the cabbage formerly known as “Chinese”. [Read More]