Further details of Friday’s seminar at SOAS:

Dr. Aino Rinhaug

Friday, March 19th, 5pm, room G50 (main building)
Dr. Aino Rinhaug, University of Oslo
Korean Adoptee Artists: Discourses of Migration, Exile and Transversality

Abstract:
In view of how the development of large-scale globalisation changes our perception of family structures, nationhood and sense of belonging, my presentation seeks to highlight a particular form of semantics of subjectivity. As the title suggests, I intend to examine more closely a number of artworks, or aesthetic discourses by artists that were once upon a time adopted from South Korea. The analysis is based on the notion that this large group of people constitutes a particular kind of diaspora and that several of their shared experiences related to questions of identity, belonging and self can be processed and re-negotiated in art. More specifically, I will take the following topics into consideration:
1. Globalisation and the emergence of different forms of migration
2. Exile and the urge to create self as other
3. The adopted self: renegotiating genealogy and otherness in art
4. Transversality, identity and ethics: Korean segyehwa policy vs. genealogy of the adoptee

Speaker Bio:

Aino Rinhaug, PhD
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, University of Oslo, Norway.

Visiting Fellow, IGRS, University of London

Research interests:

Modernism and postmodernism (comparative literature and cultural studies)
- Beckett, Pessoa, Kafka, Lobo Antunes;
- Food and literature
- Genealogy, family theory and systems theory in art
- ‘New Korean cinema’
- ‘Adopted Aesthetics’

News of a group show at the Mall Galleries, 23rd Mar – 3rd Apr 2010, 10am – 5pm (Closes 4pm on final day).

As interest in the arts of the Far East becomes greater than ever, a new company has been established which aims to present its best, most innovative artists to a new audience.

Founded by Young Hong, Far East Fine Art Ltd will be the first stop for all those fascinated by the evolving Eastern arts scene in all its different forms, media and styles.

Far East Fine Art’s first exhibition in London will take place at the MALL GALLERIES from March 23rd to 3rd April. It will feature the work of seven exciting and enormously varied artists from South Korea: Lim, Tae-Gyu; Seo, Jung Hak; Kim, Jun Ki; Jung, Young Mo; Youn, Hyun Sook; Shin, Hyun-Dae and Sonn, Jong Jin.

Lim Tae-gyu

Lim Tae-gyu: Tong River Valley. 190 x 95cm, ink and body colour on hanji

This astonishing suite of pictures are a series of Studies of the Tong River.

We find a powerful combination of Eastern aesthetic codes and a Western conception of depicting reality recalling the intense, almost mystical detail of the work of Kaspar David Friedrich and much topographical painting from the Enlightenment period. We find in equal measure an absorption in detail which recalls near-Ruskinian levels.

Sonn John-jin

Sonn Jong Jin: Lady-YS. 117 x 78cm Digital Image

This Korean photographer takes the visual investigation of the human image as his central subject.

The instantaneous nature of the medium of photography captures and records evanescent facets of a superficial, shifting form which may reveal previously unseen elements of personality.

The tension here resides in the fact that the photographic images are easily manipulability and therefore can distort the originally revealed facet of personality. The main question which the artist poses is by how much and what extra qualities does the enhancement reveal about the original.

Seo Jung-hak

Seo Jung-hak: Shout. 90 x 90cm, Mixed media

Many of Seo’s work have as their central conceit the reconciliation of fundamental contradictions.

The predominant colour which provides the central coda of his work points to an overall neutrality – what is grey if it is not some form of aesthetic compromise between black and white? It could be seen as an aesthetic middle-ground reached at through a reconciliation of opposites. We find in the works an exploration of the complexity of this reconciliation process.

Perhaps the most immediately recognizable iconographical image of this conundrum is the Yin and Yang glyph which is a symbol of harmony and balance; a resolution of opposites. For a Western audience it is fascinating to explore the points of connection. We could posit that the nearest aesthetic equation in the West are Fibonacci equations which pursue a line of beauty or formulae governing successfully resolved aesthetic productions. Similar mathematical structures are seen to govern phenomena in the natural world, such as the Nautilus shell and the florescence of plants.

A similar complexity of approach can be seen as the governing spirit of Jung Seo’s work.

Kim Jun-ki

Kim Jun-ki: the Seen City 0914: Silver mirror, Sheet LED, light box 120 x 71cm

These striking and original works seek to impose their own resolution of layers of reality which are sometimes wildly at odds with one another. The images portray the interplay the interplay of internal, external and virtual images with the surrounding context of a brightly colored, often turbulent and confusing urban reality at the same time as establishing a visual dialogue with the viewer.

The fact that the images are displayed back-lit transforms the pictures into illuminated objects, in a similar way to stained-glass windows.

Jung Young-mo

Jung Young-mo: Story of Home Town. 160 x 130cm, Acrylic on hanji

The central theme of Jung’s work is the changing nature of our memories of childhood which is expressed through specific images relevant to his own childhood. The works are naif depictions of his own memories, his childhood home, farmyard animals, trees which appear toy-like – all seen through the eyes of a child. There is an inherent reflection contained in the paintings that as we age we lose our sense of spontaneity and purity of mind.

An important image is the Cockerel whose appearance hints at the loss of innocence, with the Cockerel being symbolic of betrayal in the Christian story.

Youn Hyun-sook

Youn Hyun-sook: Flower Shadow. 100 x 72.7cm. Body colour on hanji

The starting point of Youn’s paintings is the woodland scenario. Within the wood, the changing seasons, day and night and the shifting seasonal flora and fauna are seen to depict the changing nature of human experience. Navigation within the wood itself becomes a metaphor for the various different stages of discovery about ourselves and our emotions throughout the different stages of life.

Shin Hyun-dae

Shin Hyun-dae

This artist explores the scenes of agricultural productiveness to be found in the Han River Valley in South Korea and allows the reader to interpret the lessons which nature itself can teach if approached in the correct way.

The relationship between landscape and humanity is seen to be a delicate and perhaps fragile interdependence. It is clear that only if we adopt a gentle and respectful attitude to the productive and sustaining powers of nature can this dependence be maintained. Nature is self-regenerating; it is cyclical, which in turn is capable of teaching humanity profound lessons.

He is particularly fascinated by the beauty and vigorous movement of early morning mist – through this mist we observe the spirit of the earth.

Links:

• Far East London, the official website

“ONE OF THE YEAR’S BOLDEST AND MOST THRILLING DEBUT FEATURES.” – EYE WEEKLY.COM

Following its critically acclaimed UK theatrical release in January, Yang Ik-june’s award winning Breathless comes to DVD on 22nd March 2010 as a two-disc Special Collector’s Edition featuring a host of exclusive extras including interviews with the director and cast members, specially filmed festival footage and Q&As, plus a collector’s booklet featuring sleeve notes personally written by Yang Ik-june and co-star Kim Kkobbi.

Special Features include: interview with director Yang Ik-june (20 minutes); interview with actress Kim Kkobbi (10 minutes – she was in London recently to record this); behind the scenes at the Rotterdam Film Festival (20 minutes); special Korean Film Industry Preview Screening footage (10 minutes); London Korean Film Festival Q&A at the Barbican Centre; London Press Junket footage; trailers (Korean theatrical, Korean teaser, three UK trailers, French trailer); stills gallery.

The winner of numerous international film awards in 2009, including the LKL film of the year, the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, the Jury Prize for Best Film and Best Male Performance at Montreal’s Fant-Asia Film Festival and the Best Film award and Critics’ Prize at the Deauville Asian Film Festival, the debut feature from South Korean writer-director and star Yang Ik-june, Breathlessis a brutal, uncompromising and profanity-filled look at the cause and effect of domestic violence.

Giving a stunning performance in the film’s lead role, Yang Ik-june stars as Sang-hoon, a deeply troubled man prone to violent outbursts, who freelances as a hired thug at his friend’s debt collecting firm. His private life revolves around his extremely strained relationship with his ex-convict father, who was directly responsible for the tragic breakdown of their family, and a slightly more subdued, but still difficult, connection with his stepsister and her young son.

Seemingly possessed by the pent-up rage caused by the domestic events from his past, Sang-hoon finds an opportunity for salvation when he encounters a similarly emotionally damaged schoolgirl (Kot-bi Kim), who is as foul-mouthed, headstrong and fearless as he is. The two begin an offbeat and touching friendship, not realising that their lives are already connected in ways that will have a profound effect on both their fates.

As moving as it is shocking in its portrayal of people struggling to live in a world of routine violence and abuse, Breathless was hailed by ReelAsian.com as “one of the most powerful films of the year” and by Screen International as a film that marks director Yang Ik-june as a name to watch.

Breathless (cert. 18) will be released on DVD (£14.99) by Terracotta Distribution on 22nd March 2010.

Fifty three young Korean artists in one place, 2010’s 4482 exhibition is its third and biggest ever incarnation. The initiative’s name is drawn from the UK’s and South Korea’s international dialling codes (+44 and +82 respectively) and focuses on young Korean artistic talent based in the London area. In many cases the artists are students, but in others they have settled down to live in the UK. The idea had its first incarnation in New Malden in 2007, and moved to the Bargehouse in the OXO Tower wharf with 40 artists in October 2008. The location works well, with plenty of space for installations, and this year’s show was again at the riverside location. Such venues don’t come cheap though, and the exhibition only lasts for 3 or 4 days. If you’re someone who likes coming back to an exhibition to revisit particular works which caught your eye the first time round, you have to move quickly with 4482.

As in last year’s exhibition, there is a wide variety of art forms on view, including video work, sculpture, painting, photography and installation art. It is always good to see some familiar artists – for example Daehun Kwon’s imaginative and hypnotically compelling shadow sculptures and Ayoung Kim’s photographic reconstructions of gory newspaper stories have exhibited from the first show. Other regulars on the London art scene are Sang Yoon Yoon’s oils expressing feelings of solitude and rejection; Gunwoo Shin’s metal reliefs conjuring up sometimes nightmarish mental landscapes (one of them calls to mind the gruesome bin bag in Takashi Miike’s Audition); Luca Sang-jun Kim’s vibrantly layered abstracts whose paintwork is the visual equivalent of the ringing of a brass bell; and Chan-hyo Bae’s photographs depicting the (male) artist in elaborate historical or fairy-tale (female) costume.

It’s also equally pleasurable to see some new faces. So in this brief review, which cannot possibly do justice to so many artists and the wide range of work on display, I’m focusing on the work of artists who have struck me for the first time.

Still from video work by Jihye Park

I confess to not being a natural fan of video art. It always seems to me that asking a viewer to give a certain amount of time to a viewing, when it might mean nothing to him, is asking too much. I’m sure I’ve seen some of Jihye Park’s work before, and not registered much. Vut this time was different. An almost naked white man – almost unhealthily white – reclines languorously on a chaise longue, a blanket strategically placed to avoid embarrassment. A young Korean woman is caressing him possessively, kissing him, almost worshipping him, as he reclines motionless and emotionless. Is this every man’s fantasy, being so adored by an exotic Asian? If subject doesn’t seem to be particularly enjoying it, he doesn’t appear to be hating every moment either: he is not displaying any reaction at all. We wonder what is going on here: are the two people lovers? There seems to be no passion, certainly no arousal on the part of the man. If not lovers, what other reason has brought them together into this situation? The woman seems to be enjoying herself more than the man. Who is exploiting whom?

In a second scene, the man is fully clothed, in black. Directly facing the camera, he seems to be kneeling or sitting, hands behind his back, perhaps tied there? Again, the Korean woman – long, rather unkempt hair, white dress, like the ghost from the Japanese horror movie The Ring. Is he a prisoner? Again, who is exploiting whom? Our initial assumption that the white male is exploiting the oriental female may not be right. The viewer is not told the answer, but then with some works there is no definitive answer.

Detail of installation by JooHee Hwang

In the same darkened room was an installation by JooHee Hwang: a large black box, illuminated from within, pierced with small peep-holes, only big enough for you to look through with one eye. Inside, a small model of a chicly dressed woman, standing in a corridor of hoops. To the side, a small male figure looked on. Through the peep holes you could only see parts of the scene at a time. It was like a psychedelic set from a 1960s movie by Seijun Suzuki or The Prisoner. What was going on was not clear, but certainly there were several layers of voyeurism involved.

Joo-hee Chun: Blessing

Onwards to more restful work, and an artist new to the Korean Art scene in London. Joo-hee Chun trained at Winchester college of art, and this was her first London showing, with three paintings from her “Blessing” series. Chun, a committed Christian, paints as her spirit (or The Spirit) guides her, with layer upon layer of abstract and seemingly random calligraphy. The different layers are translucent, allowing the viewer to see the prayers building up over time. The whole is remarkably peaceful to look at, recalling the 1970s series of monochrome paintings Écriture by Park Seobo.

Jungju Yoon: Communion

Continuing the religious theme, Jungu Yoon had a panel of nine paintings made out of red wine and canvas entitled “Communion”. The result was slightly reminiscent of the Turin Shroud.

Jae Yeon Chung: Love Letters in Hyde Park

Another set of works best viewed as a whole was Jae Yeon Chung’s poignant, one-sided collection of emails sent from an infatuated English language teacher to his elusive and uninterested Korean girlfriend. Were the emails really sent? Do people bare their innermost thoughts in an email which can be forwarded and copied so readily? If they were real, what brutal, vindictive artistic instinct prompted the recipient to blow them up into massive panels and display them first in Hyde Park and then in the Bargehouse at this exhibition? Plenty of food for thought.

Seungpyo Hong: The Man without Shoes (Urinary Bladder)

There was also plenty of humour. We have seen Seungpyo Hong’s Heath Robinson contraptions before, at the KCC Supervisions exhibition in December 2009, and they are always entertaining. But in the same room was a sculpture by Chinwook Kim which was attracting a lot of attention: a male figure, standing on a set of bathroom scales, gloomily looking at the weight depicted therein. But this was not any male figure: the ornate paisley tattoos suggested that this man was a tough guy, a gangster. But the forlorn slump in his shoulders cried out that even the toughest guy can be vain about his body image.

Chinwook Kim: Gangster on bathroom scales

Soonhak Kwon: Wonderwall

And with all the interesting work on display, there was one work which was deliberately minimalist: Soonhak Kwon’s ultra-high-resolution photographs of a gallery wall just after the closing of an exhibition: the grain of the paint was almost tactile; you reached out to peel the blue-tak off the surface of the image, but of course it was just a photograph – “A photograph with no subject, yet a subject itself; the nothing becomes something, and vice versa,” explains the artist in the 4482 catalogue.

In fact one of the strengths of the exhibition was that many of the artists were present – if you could find them in the bustle of the opening reception. So if you couldn’t immediately engage with a work, a quick conversation with its creator at least was able to clarify the artist’s intentions and help you get closer to it.

To marshal 53 artists into one brief exhibition is a huge organisational achievement. With such a variety of work on display no common theme can be discernible other than diversity – which means that there is always going to be work that is going to appeal to someone. It is to be hoped that 4482 is now a regular fixture of the Korean artistic scene in London, giving us the chance to see the wealth of Korean talent coming through the art colleges.

After the success of her 2009 UK tour, Younee is back for two months and a series of concerts. LKL will be meeting her this week to talk about her plans. In the meanwhile, here are some dates for your diaries:

Links:

• Younee on MySpace

1. BoA is back, with an upcoming Korean album: is she giving up on the US? http://bit.ly/auBVVD Meanwhile, the growth in Korean entertainment exports is slowing: http://bit.ly/8ZHrNU #
2. RT @GIKorea: New blog post: Have Korean Researchers Discovered Alcohol That Doesn’t Give You A Hangover? http://bit.ly/doANrW 11:17 PM Mar 5th via Twitter Tools
3. RT @rjkoehler New blog posting, MUST SEE: Documentary on 21 Americans Who Chose China – http://tinyurl.com/y9h44qw 3:00 AM Mar 6th via WordTwit
4. A Korean living in Hong Kong (Jeannie Cho Lee) is the only Asian Master of Wine. Her love of wine began in Oxford. FT: http://bit.ly/avCYa5 #
5. Just heard some good news. Time to start planning a trip to Seoul in early May ^_^ #
6. Another positive review of Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy – Real Lives in North Korea. David Pilling in the FT: http://bit.ly/952NfH #
7. That’s one big parade, celebrating the reopening of a Vinalon factory, DPRK’s own fabric made of limestone + anthracite http://bit.ly/deQm6I #
8. RT @youneelondon This is my “Twitter Song” youtube link. Some people asked me this again. Hope u Enjoy~ http://bit.ly/aZcKWN 7:03 PM Mar 9th via Echofon

   Click here to view the embedded video.

9. 3 interviews coming up over 3 working days: rock band (Biuret), jazz singer (Nah Youn Sun) and indie pianist / songwriter (Younee). Wish I didn’t have to have a day job. #
10. Chang-rae Lee's latest novel – "The Surrendered", set in the Korean War – reviewed in the New York Times: http://nyti.ms/9mY8AV #. His A Gesture Life is much recommended, and I’m looking forward to reading this one.
11. North Korea resells British cigarettes to generate hard cash. FT: http://bit.ly/bxE0D5 #
12. Pojagi wrapping cloths get a new lease of life in America with the Bobo Wrapping Scarf. Korea Times: http://bit.ly/b7MBKS #
13. The famous Korean rapper JAZZY IVY (aka Superman Ivy) is in London and will be on tomorrow's Seoul System show! http://bit.ly/dmZXJt #
14. Good to see the KCC film screening absolutely packed last night. Could it have been all the soju on offer? #
15. Good luck to Biuret at their music industry gig in Kensington tonight. They were great fun to interview #
16. Dulwich College to open an outpost in Seoul, and is already accepting applications. Korea Times. http://bit.ly/cAWrto #

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LKL meets the energetic Korean rock band Biuret, the overall winners of Sutasi 2009, during their brief visit to London.

I’ve come to the Royal Garden Hotel overlooking Kensington Gardens to meet Biuret, one of the latest Korean bands to win international recognition. The foyer is packed with music industry types, because this is the venue for the International Live Music Conference 2010. Biuret have been invited to showcase their talents: three sets with the final one finishing at 2 in the morning, while the delegates play at the roulette tables. Having only arrived in town the day before, the band can’t know what time of day it is.

Lee Gyo-won, aka Happy Jackson

The London gig is their first in the UK, and they are  doing cover versions of western songs as well as five of their own – including including Without U from their first album. In honour of the themes of the convention – “Titanic, Ocean” – the western songs they have prepared include Oceans by Pearl Jam, Nick Cave’s Ship Song, Jeff Buckley’s Nightmares by the Sea and Watching Me Fall by The Cure.

I make my way to the appointed meeting room and on my way come across the unmistakable blond curly mop of hair belonging to Lee Kyo-won, aka Happy Jackson, the band’s lead guitarist. He’s the joker in the band: outgoing, always laughing. Moon Hye-won is more focused and intense. She’s the lead vocalist and songwriter. Her hair intricately twined and with rather gothic black fingernails, she’s in a stylish but casual red plaid shirt. Bass guitarist Ahn Jai-hyun, always smiling, is in a classic bold houndstooth jacket, while drummer DR is the observer. Maybe used to his three fellow band members taking the limelight at the front of the stage, he’s happy to sit back and let them do the talking. The band have a great chemistry together: while they all have different characters which contributes to their music-making, they seem to enjoy being together and throughout the interview were laughing and joking with each other.

L to R: Ahn Jai-hyun, DR and Moon Hye-won

I get my iPhone out to record the interview. It’s an immediate ice-breaker, and both Happy Jackson and DR get theirs out as well. Since the gadget was only released in Korea a couple of months ago, two out of four ain’t bad: Samsung and LG must be getting worried. Also helping with the interview and interpreting where necessary is Ji Lee from Asia Sounds, who is trying to bring Biuret to an international market. Their third full-length album is coming out in the summer, and while Hye-won has written one or two of the songs, this is the first album where the majority have been contributed by other songwriters: as this album is aimed squarely at the Western market, they are collaborating with an American and Australian songwriter. But Biuret’s core style will still be evident.

Moon Hye-won: Biuret's founder and lead vocalist

Moon Hye-won founded Biuret in 2002, and Happy Jackson has been with her from relatively early on. They recruited bassist Ahn Jai-hyun over the internet, and DR, a much in-demand drummer in the Hongdae music scene completed the line-up. DR in fact plays for three other bands on and off, and seems to fit well with all of them: he’s in demand for his particular style, and other bands in Hongdae know where to come for it.

Their first EP came in 2005, and it sold out within months, and their first album, Be Full of Spirit – Beautiful Violet, followed in 2007. Already with half an eye to the international market, one or two of those songs were in English, but their 2009 album Dreams Come True, was different in tone and more aimed at the domestic market. 2009 was a big year for them, when they entered the international talent-spotting contest Sutasi and were pan-Asian winners. “This gave us a lot of respect in Korea,” said Jackson. “The music scene in Korea is very pop-oriented, and people were really surprised when we beat the international competition.” The success has given them the confidence to venture into the international market.

Biuret’s sound is firmly at the rock end of the spectrum. They have been compared with Cherry Filter and Bloody Cookie, and among the Korean artists they list as influences are Crying Nut, No Brain, Kim Tae-won and Boo Hwal: “It’s really difficult to be a rock artist in Korea,” says Hye-won. “And to have longevity, that’s really difficult. You’ve got to respect anyone who survives in the music industry for a long time.”

There’s another British connection with Biuret: they were support act for Oasis when they toured to Korea. Of the other Western bands that have their respect, 90s grunge rock looms large. Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins have been influences, but also singer-songwriter Alanis Morisette.

This brings the focus back to Biuret’s leader Hye-won, whose voice is able to move from tender melodic tone to gutsy rock chic with ease. She accepts the comparison with Cherry Filter and others, but while Biuret has the same energy levels in their sound, with a bit of hardness, their style also has a bit of shade, with more darkness to it. Their melodic lines contribute to the uniqueness of their own sound.

After the London gig, they’re off to Southampton to share the stage with a local band called the Melodramas who they came across and befriended while on tour in Perth, Western Australia, in October last year. Continuing their international tour calendar, their next stop is Ho Chi Minh City. I ask if they’re looking forward to it. They nod enthusiastically. “I like Vietnamese rice noodles,” says Jackson. “And I’m looking forward to seeing the Vietnamese girls,” he adds wickedly. “Everyone in Hongdae likes Vietnamese girls.”

Their gig calendar has been extremely busy since their Sutasi success. But have they grown too big for the Hongdae clubs? “No, Hongdae’s a big place – there’s plenty of room,” says Jai-hyun. Here’s hoping their third album will bring more international recognition, and bring them back to the UK again.

Links:

• Biuret on Facebook
• Biuret on MySpace
• Asia Sounds
• Sutasi
• Buy Be Full of Spirit – Beautiful Violet (Biuret’s first album) and Dreams Come True (the second album) at YesAsia

Aashish Gadhvi reviews the figure skating juggernaut that is Kim Yu-na

At the recent South Korea v Ivory Coast match I managed to speak to many Korean journalists from television and from print media. Many of the journalists there only seem to have one thing to talk about. No, it wasn’t Park Ji-sung or Lee Chung-yong, but Kim Yu-na, the 19-year-old figure skating sensation who claimed gold at the Winter Olympics just a few weeks ago. Other sports have always been popular in South Korea besides football but figure skating seems to be the new flavour of the month thanks to a 5 foot 5 inch teenager from Bucheon.

Kim Yu-na was born in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do province, but moved to Gunpo at the age of six. A year later she began figure skating and her coach was so impressed with the precocious girl’s skills that she predicted to her mum that Yu-na would one day be a world class figure skater. Boy was she very right! By the age of 11 she was already winning international competitions at novice level. She then became the youngest person to ever win the senior title at the South Korean Figure Skating Championships.

Her career really kicked off at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in 2004-05 when she finished second behind Mao Asada of Japan and won South Korea’s first ever international medal in figure skating. From then on Kim Yu-na went to win medal after medal at various international tournaments and listing all of them here would be foolish and time consuming. But to summarise, after she won silver at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, up until the Winter Olympics, she took part in 23 competitions, and won 23 medals. Out of those 23 medals, 3 were bronze and 2 were silver. No prizes for guessing what colour the 18 other medals were.

What many in the western world don’t realise is that leading up to the Winter Olympics, she was already a massive star in South Korea and she got the Jun Ji-hyun treatment by the advertising companies. And why not? She’s young, pretty, athletic and a major achiever for the nation. Legend has it that since appearing in the now famed ‘Yuna’s Haptic’ telephone commercial for Samsung, the mobile phone in question sold over a million handsets in 7 months, which is a record.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now getting back to the Winter Olympics. Kim Yu-na’s final performance was an absolute masterclass in skating. I can hardly stand up straight on ice skates, so seeing the ease in which Kim landed her signature triple jumps was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Perhaps her more impressive move is her version of the camel spin, in which one leg remains spinning on the ice and the other leg remains in the air, most of the time in a parallel position. Kim’s version of this consists of her back bent backwards, parallel to the ground and her one raised foot being bent at the knee. At times she looked like a toy in a snow globe! When it was all said and done she had claimed the gold medal with a world record total of 228.56.

One of the most fascinating things about her performance at the Winter Olympics was her reaction to the score. When the mammoth total was shown on the big screen, she quite clearly mouthed the words ‘Oh my god’ in a typically school girl like fashion. This drove home one of the most important factors about Yu-na, the fact that she is just a kid. To have all this success at the age of 19 is something that comes with its burdens and we have seen countless cases of youngsters who have had success and not been able to live up to expectations. She will at some point in her career encounter failure and if there’s one thing we know about Korean society, the netizens are not always the kindest people in the world to those who fail. I’m hoping that Kim will prove to be strong enough to deal with this pressure and put things like criticism out of her mind and concentrate on life on the ice. But so far so good for Yu-na, in fact so good that her performance at the Winter Olympics has somewhat overshadowed the mixed results of the Short track skating team, Korea’s premiere winter sport. The very fact that this article was supposed to be a review of Korea’s performance at the Winter Olympics and became a review of Kim Yu-na is case in point. But athletes like this don’t come along every day, so celebrate while we have the chance!

My manager at Match of the Day recently handed me a DVD of South Korea’s World Cup qualifying match against North Korea in Seoul. Having watched the DVD I noticed during the national anthem a certain Kim Yu-na with hand on heart, wearing an official KFA coat. There was the occasional cut away to her during the match as well. What was most interesting about this is the shots of her were almost always inter-cut with shots of my new best mate Ki Sung-yong, Celtic’s 21-year-old tall and handsome midfielder. Did the Korean media know something that we don’t know? The plot thickens…

Grace Yeo will be giving a lunchtime recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ on Friday 19 March, 1-2pm

Programme:
Schubert Piano Sonata in A major, D.664
Ravel Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit
Schumann Piano Sonata in G minor, Op.22

Biography
Grace Yeo was born in Seoul, Korea in 1986 and commenced her piano studies at the age of four. Since then, she attended Yewon School and Seoul High School of Arts whilst appearing frequently as a soloist in Korea.

In 2004, she began her undergraduate studies with Professor Hie-Yon, Choi as a scholarship student at the Seoul National University. In 2008, she was awarded the ‘Barbara Stringer Scholarship’ for postgraduate studies in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she studied firstly with Professor Philip Jenkins continuing later with Senior Professor of Piano, Joan Havill supported by the ‘Leverhulme Trust’. She is also a recipient of an award from The Craxton Memorial Trust in 2009.

In Korea, Grace won numerous prizes including First Prize in the 35th Newspaper of Music Education Competition, First Prize in the Sung-Jung Music competition, First Prize at the C.Bechstein-Samick Piano Competition and First Prize in Hanmi Junior Competition.

In November in 2009 she won First Prize and Audience Prize at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Beethoven Intercollegiate Piano Competition.

She was invited to perform at the ‘Young Artists Concert Series’ in Seoul and has performed in many famous venues such as Young-San Art Hall, Ceramic Palace Hall and Concert Hall at Seoul National University in Korea. She has performed concertos by Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann and in January 2008 she played ‘Liszt Piano Concerto No.1’ with the ‘Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra’ in Korea.

She has played with masterclasses of Dominique Merlet, Meng-Chieh Liu, Paul Lewis and Sergio Perticaroli.

For those who missed this excellent documentary when it showed on the BBC recently, it’s returning to cinemas this month under its theatrical name, The Red Chapel. It’s also a slightly longer cut, 87 minutes as opposed to the hour that the BBC gave it. The screenings are part of the Human Rights Watch film festival. Filmmaker Mads Brügger will be in attendance at the Mar 19 screening.

Screening details:

Location: ICA, The Mall, London
Date and time: March 19, 2010 6:30pm
Book tickets by clicking here or by calling the box office: 20 7930 3647.

Location: Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London
Date and time: March 22, 2010 6:30pm +0000
Book tickets online by clicking here or by calling the cinema box office: 0871 7033 988.

Location: The Ritzy, Brixton Oval, London
Date and time: March 25, 2010 7:00pm +0000
Book tickets online by clicking here or by calling the box office: 0871 704 2065.

Synopsis
A journalist with no scruples, a spastic, and a comedian travels to North Korea with a mission – to challenge the conditions of the smile in one of the world’s most notorious regimes.
On the pretext of being a small theatre troupe on a cultural exchange visit from Denmark, ‘The Red Chapel’ was given permission to travel to North Korea with the objective of performing at special events for selected audiences. But in reality the small troupe was compromised of a group who had no such intentions. Two group members, Jacob and Simon, were both adopted form North Korea to Europe as infants and this is their story about the confrontation with their biological roots, and their attempt to act and perform in a world where humour and humanity have very poor conditions.
It is also a story about the meeting between the free mind and the absolute surveillance society. North Korea’s 23 million citizens are ruled by the iron hand of ‘The Dear Leader’, General Kim Jong-il. The country has a history of starving its people, violating human rights and abusing and killing its handicapped citizens. The title ‘The Red Chapel’ is a reference to a communist spy cell that operated in Nazi Germany under the name ‘Rote Kapelle’.
In short, The Red Chapel chronicles the amusing and often bizarre encounters between this Danish “theatre troupe” and their North Korean hosts in a one of a kind, East-meets-West-meets-East look at cultural exchange in the modern world’s last anti-globalist bastion.

Links:

• The Red Chapel official website
• LKL’s review of the TV version

“This is The Woman,” opens a new ad for French Connection. “The Woman of All Women.” The voiceover is rather reminiscent of British children’s TV programming from the 1960’s (Watch with Mother). The footage is in black and white, adding to the slightly dated feel. And in the background, we hear, as if in the distance, a solitary solo oboe playing Arirang.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s interesting that the Korean folk-tune is well known enough in the West to be in the repertoire of the advertising creatives. The campaign represents a step forward in sophistication for the fashion brand, which has for the last decade has been playing (in the UK at least) with the deliberately provocative FCUK acronym.

“Going forward we will present French Connection as a credible and focused fashion brand that speaks through its product. It is a brand that celebrates personal style without the gimmicks,” says the French Connection website.

To go with this change of focus, the fashion brand hired Fallon as their advertising agency earlier this year. This is Fallon’s first campaign for the company.

HT to Nami Morris for spotting the ad.

With the kind permission of Colonel GM Gadd OBE, National Chairman of the British Korean Veterans Association, we reproduce here the annual report of the BKVA’s activities, as presented to the annual general meeting of the Anglo-Korean Society yesterday.

CHAIRMANS REPORT TO THE AGM OF THE ANGLO-KOREAN SOCIETY HELD AT THE CULTURAL CENTRE, NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, LONDON WC2N 5EJ ON TUESDAY 9 MARCH 2010

INTRODUCTION

1. I am pleased that I am able to attend this AGM to present the BKVA report; it seems incredible that the year 2009/10 has passed so quickly. I would like to say how much we, the BKVA membership have appreciated receiving the Anglo-Korean Society newsletters; they are informative and keep us up to date with events.

2. Since my report to last year’s AGM we have experienced a year of mixed fortunes.

HIGHLIGHTS

3. First among the highlights was an invitation from Ambassador CHUN to Major General Swindells and myself to join the President His Excellency LEE MYUNG BAK for breakfast, with others, on Friday 3 April. As you will remember the President was in London for the G20 conference.

4. This was a great honour, not only for General Swindells and me, but for the BKVA and the IFKWVA. There was a very limited attendance which included prominent politicians, financiers and businessmen, the Lord Mayor of London and other borough mayors and personalities from sport and other spheres. Lord Kerr, a leading diplomat, led the reply to the President’s address and invited both the General and myself to contribute.

5. The breakfast was held in the plush surroundings of the Landmark Hotel, Marylebone Road, NW1 and speaking for General Swindells and myself we were most appreciative that we were able to meet the President and that he was able to find time in his very busy programme to host the occasion.

6. On 25 June 30 members of the BKVA were invited by the Ambassador His Excellency CHUN YUNG-WOO to a wreath laying ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by lunch at the Korean Embassy; as always it was an emotional and meaningful commemoration to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Korean War.

7. Next, on 27 July, was the “BKVA Korean War Commemoration Day”. This function takes place annually, on 27 July at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire. The guest of honour was Ambassador CHUN who addressed the congregation during the commemoration service; his comments were well received by our members. He then “reviewed the troops” and took the salute, with General Swindells, at the march past.

8. This was probably our most successful Commemoration Day yet; the weather was kind to us and over 1,000 members, wives, families and friends participated of whom approximately 500 marched to our memorial plot. We enjoy the pomp and ceremony of these occasions and we each grow three inches when marching behind a band; which on this occasion was the Minden Band of the Queen’s Division.

9. This was the occasion we said farewell to Captain LEE, JIN-Kyu who attended for the last time in his official capacity as Defence Attaché; he was accompanied by his wife on this occasion. We were able to meet his successor, Captain CHOI, CHONG-Ho who attended in a non-official capacity; he too was accompanied by his wife.

10. It was a nice change to have Captain CHOI join the Embassy; all four of his predecessors had been Captains LEE, ROK Navy.

11. The Korean Festival was held at Kingston-upon-Thames on Saturday 15 August and although I was unable to be present it was reported to me as being most successful and was enjoyed by all who attended.
12. The BKVA’s 28th AGM was held on 24 October during a weekend reunion held in Caernarfon; again, there were no changes to the official appointments.

13. Ambassador CHUN and Captain CHOI, together with their respective wives joined us for the weekend. During our working session on the Saturday the Ambassador and his party decided to climb Snowdon. They chose the wrong day for such a venture; the weather was deplorable – biting winds and driving rain – and they opted to climb on the exposed side of the mountain. They got halfway up the mountain but were defeated by the conditions and returned to the hotel bedraggled and windswept …… they were sorry not to have succeeded but much enjoyed the exercise after being cooped up in London.

14. The Ambassador and his party joined us for our annual dinner on Saturday evening and attended our church service on the Sunday morning. The Ambassador took the salute as the veterans marched past the War Memorial in Caernarfon. The weather had improved and the Ambassador did not seem adversely affected by the storms of the previous day.

DOWNSIDE

15. At our AGM our membership stood at 3491 which was down on the previous year by 184. We expect to lose members when one considers that the youngest of the veterans is 76 years of age and we are a finite organization. Even so we have been hit hard by the deaths of some notable members of the Association during the year under report.

16. Our first loss was Colonel the Reverend Sam Davies; he had been our Chaplain since the inauguration of the BKVA in 1981. He had been padre to the GLOSTERS and was a prisoner of war in Korea.

17. Soon after, we lost Major General Archie Birtwistle who had been our president for 9 years and a patron of the BKVA for the last 2. It is not unreasonable to say that with Reverend Sam and General Archie age took its toll as they were respectively 91 and 82 years of age when they died; that cannot be said of the next loss.

18. The Venerable David Brierley, who succeeded Reverend Sam Davies as our Chaplain, was only 55. At the time of his death David was Archdeacon of Sudbury; he had been associated with Greater Manchester Branch for many years and was a natural successor as our Chaplain, an appointment he assumed, with the blessing of his Bishop, in April 2008. He conducted the service at the BKVA Korean War Commemoration Day on 27 July and it was a great shock to us all when we learned that he had died on 1 August. His last official function was at Alrewas.

19. Another stalwart who passed on recently was Charles Bogart, A&SH, who was our National Piper from 1981 until 1999 when his health curtailed his activities. I understand that when playing the pipes in Seoul he gathered around him many children which earned him the nickname of “The Pied Piper of Seoul”.

20. George Lakey was next to go. He died in November. At the time of his death he was a member of the BKVA Executive Committee and a trustee of the Samsung/BKVA/RBL Scholarship Fund.

21. Maurice (Mick) Geoghagan was one of our founder members, he was president of North East London Branch and a BKVA trustee; his funeral service was held on 23 February. The Koreans have also lost prominent personalities who have been good friends of the BKVA; two former Presidents of Korea, their Excellencies KIM, DAE-JUNG and ROH, MOO-HYUN and Major General PARK, SEH-JIK former Chairman of the Korean Veterans Association in Seoul.

SAMSUNG/BKVA/RBL SCHOLARSHIP 2010

22. Now to a brighter subject when we can look to the future rather than dwell on the past. The interview panel met at HQ RBL (199 Borough High Street, SE1 1AA); there were 5 candidates for this year’s scholarship.

A. The successful candidate who was awarded a 2 year scholarship is: Miss Claire O’Connell.
She is a graduate of the University of London having gained a BA in History. She qualified as a Solicitor at the College of Law, Guildford and the University of Exeter. She is a practising solicitor with a firm in Epsom. Her service connection is her grandfather who was a sergeant in the RAF during World War II. Her chosen subject will be International Cooperation which she will study at Seoul National University. Claire has experience of Korea; in 2005/06 she taught English for 8 months at the IPPT Foreign Language Institute in Osan City. She is a member of the A-K Society; in fact it was at the AGM here last year that I first met her and suggested she consider applying for the scholarship.

B. The panel also decided to award a year’s scholarship to: Mr Simon Hathaway.
At 41 years of age he is above the normal age of candidates awarded scholarships. He impressed the panel. He is an ex RAF officer with 16 years service but was medically discharged in 2007. He is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physics and Computer Science. His chosen subject is photography which he will study at Yonsei University.

23. The scholarships were presented to the successful candidates at a lunch held in the Officers Mess in the Tower of London on 8 October. Ambassador CHUN was to present the scholarships but was called away at the last minute; General Swindells did the honours. The scholarship is worth £15,000 a year to a successful candidate; we also award £5,000 a year in bursaries, the latter under the auspices of Professor James Grayson and the British Association for Korean Studies (BAKS).

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATIONS (IFKWVA)

24. As I advised at the last AGM I was to visit Australia with the then Secretary General, Major General JEONG, KOOK-BORN; the purposes of our visit were goodwill and liaison. General Park, Chairman of KVA, who sponsor IFKWVA, asked if when there could we organize a degree of unity among the various Korean War Veterans Associations in Australia of which there are upwards of 30 …. who do not talk to each other.

25. We were there for 7 days and were extremely busy with meetings, talks, functions, dinners and the like and to cut a long story short, the Australian veterans resented our intrusion; there was no move to unity and they still don’t talk to each other!

CONCLUSION

26. In closing I would like to say how very sorry we were that Ambassador CHUN was short-toured but accept that he returned to Korea to take up a political post. We were represented at his farewell reception at which we made him an Honorary Life Member of the BKVA and presented him with a certificate to that effect together with a BKVA plaque and a tie. He was a good friend to, and very supportive of the BKVA.

27. Finally, I have to advise you that Frank Ellison resigned as our General Secretary after 13 years in the post. He was an excellent secretary and will be missed. He remains on the Executive Committee in a lesser post. His successor as General Secretary is Mrs Susan Hurst who has settled into the post extremely well.

28. We have had our problems this year but as an association we are active and vibrant. If you have any questions I will be pleased to answer them now or, possibly, later if that is more convenient.

George Gadd
National Chairman BKVA
9 March 2010

For me, 2009’s live performance of the year was Nah Youn Sun’s spell-binding gig in the Vortex with Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius. It drew a rave review from one of London’s top 10 blogs, London Jazz (“sheer magic” said its blogmeister, now jazz blogger for the Daily Telegraph, Sebastian Scotney)

For those who didn’t manage to find their way to the Vortex, Nah is returning with Wakenius to London in a more central venue to act as support for Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket: the Swedish band has just released their first CD. I can recommend the CD, though it’s outside the remit of this site. John Bungey of The Times describes it thus: “Understated and playful, there are echoes of early Pink Floyd and Röyksopp – or Brian Eno on a Scandinavian mini-break”. And of course, Nah Youn Sun and Ulf Wakenius, as well as being LKL’s Live Gig of the year 2009 was my runaway winner of Album of the Year 2008 with Voyage.

So make sure you get your tickets for the concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Monday 15th March at 7:30pm

Links:

• Book tickets at the South Bank website

This Friday’s lecture at SOAS looks like a must-see.

See you all there.

Friday, March 12th, 5pm, room G50 (main building)
Dr. Katarzyna Cwiertka, Leiden University
Cuisine, Colonialism and Cold War: Food in 20th Century Korea

Abstract:
In this talk, I will introduce my forthcoming book Cuisine, Colonialism and Cold War: Food and Eating in Twentieth Century Korea. The key argument states that Japanese colonialism (1910-1945) and Cold War (1950-1990) largely shaped Korean dietary ‘tradition’ as we know it today. It demonstrates that an array of dietary practices by now identified as ‘Korean’ not infrequently have been conceived through colonial encounters or greatly affected by the colonial legacy. It also points out how the militarized reality of Cold War has further determined the trajectory of dietary change on the peninsula, both South and North. The scope of the book extends beyond dietary concerns, owing to the all-embracing and yet very intimate character of food. It may serve as a very effective tool for investigating phenomena, such as colonialism, capitalism, war, modernity and democracy, which influence society and culture simultaneously at many levels, but their full effect is difficult to pinpoint.

The talk is centered around two topics: the restaurant culture of colonial Korea and the post-liberation standardization of the Korean taste through the industrialization of soy sauce production. Both topics vividly reflect the persistent legacy of Japanese colonial rule and the ambiguity of lived colonial experience. While Koreans willingly embraced the colonizer as a trendsetter, the economic survival of café’s, restaurants and department stores was often heavily dependent on the patronage of the colonized Korean public. In the case of industrialization of soy sauce production the situation was entirely different. A typical example of ‘Japanese for Japanese phenomenon’, industrial soy sauce unfolds its impact on the Korean cuisine only after the liberation.

Speaker Bio:
Katarzyna J. Cwiertka is Associate Professor in Japanese History and Material Culture at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Her research to date has utilized food as a window into the modern history of Japan and Korea. Cwiertka is the author of Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food, Power and National Identity (Reaktion Books 2006) and co-editor of Asian Food: The Global and the Local (University of Hawaii Press 2002). Currently, she is putting finishes touches to her forthcoming monograph Cuisine, Colonialism and Cold War: Food in Twentieth Century Korea (Reaktion Books 2010). She also acts as Principal Researcher of the project “Sustaining Total War: Militarization, Economic Mobilization and Social Change in Japan and Korea”, which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and investigates the role of war in the development of contemporary East Asia.

Aashish Gadhvi managed to interview two key members of the South Korean world cup squad after the match with Ivory Coast last week: Lee Young-pyo, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur:

Click here to view the embedded video.

and probably Korea’s best known player, Park Ji-sung:

Click here to view the embedded video.

No subtitles this time: both interviews are in English.

This wraps up LKL’s coverage of the South Korea – Ivory Coast match. Next time we talk about the Red Devils it will be in the World Cup tournament itself.

Saharial reviews one of 2009’s murder-mysteries:

The Case of Itaewon Homicide

Director: Hong Ki-seon
Writer: Lee Maeng-yu
Release Date: September 10, 2009

Cast: Jang Geun-suk, Jeong  Jin-yeong, Shin Seung-hwan, Oh Kwang-rok, Ko Chang-Seok

Synopsis

Based on real events that have been ‘dramatised and changed for dramatic purposes’ the story tells of an incident in 1997 when a student was found murdered in the bathroom of a burger restaurant. Two suspects are found, both of whom are American-born Korean and both of whom blame each other for the murder. It’s up to prosecutor and defence to discover the truth and jail the killer.

Review

Jang Geun-suk

It might seem unfair to compare ‘Itaewon Homicide’ to ‘Memories of Murder’ but seeing as the latter is the Gold Standard of murder films based on real events, and that its a personal favourite of mine, it’s inevitable. The film isn’t bad, and maybe the extensive review of the real events that I have read prevented any real shock or surprise in the narrative, but I felt that there was something lacking overall and that it was a touch flimsy and too many obvious devices in places.

That being said it’s still a good film to watch, the casting is cleverly done with Jang Geun-suk as the ‘innocent’ accused, his popularity allowing the audience to feel some empathy and warmth to an otherwise unattractive character. He does well in this role, a break from his normal cheerful persona and, combined with the fact he has to speak English through most of the film, it’s quite impressive. Its not perfect American accent of course, but it plays a vital part in itself.

Shin Seung-hwan

Shin Seung-hwan who plays the other accused also does well as the spoiled rich kid, perhaps his heavy build and the almost porcine nature of the father also adding to the casting. It makes them seem more distasteful, after all, the audience needs to take sides between the two very flawed leads. Unlike ‘Memories of Murder’ there is no clear delineation between who is right and wrong.

One of the interesting angles I feel it portrays the best is how the battle between the lawyers goes beyond the actual case and how it’s so easy to forget the real victim and his family. Also, that the US system and the Korean system are at odds with each other demonstrates very clearly you cannot have a country with sets of laws for people. This particularly applies  if the two investigations are at odds with each other, particularly if one interferes with the process and the other shows incompetence and corruption.

In the end I give the movie three stars – worth watching, but lacks something special. It is hard to build suspense when the audience already knows the ending, but compare it to how Bong Joon-ho managed to do so for ‘Memories of Murder’, it might have been wiser to have taken a different angle with this case, namely that of the victim’s family.

Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Girls Generation latest album “Oh!” gets a trashing in the JoongAng Ilbo: http://bit.ly/cdKGL5 10:28 PM Feb 22nd via bit.ly

   Click here to view the embedded video.

   • TchmilFan: @lklinks You can even get SNSD/Girls Gen “Oh!” on iTunes UK now! http://bit.ly/cVOel7 (Look out for the Oh! areia remix on youtube) 1:28 PM Feb 23rd via Seesmic
2. You thought Korea was a great place for medical tourism? A hub, even? Check the costings before you go – Korea Times: http://bit.ly/adwsZU 10:30 PM Feb 22nd via bit.ly
3. You know that tubby kid in Pixar’s animation “Up”? He’s a Korean. Chosun Ilbo: http://bit.ly/blcPyb 10:32 PM Feb 22nd via bit.ly
   • Stephanie Seungmin Kim: Had a no idea- he looked quite spoiled though. 23 February at 11:21
4. The Chosun tips the celebs most likely to be featuring in commercials over the next year. Kim Yu-na tops the list: http://bit.ly/apLkNw 10:35 PM Feb 22nd via bit.ly
5. SuJu and TVXQ albums edge out Lady Gaga in Philippines: these boy bands keep on going http://bit.ly/9ZCjgD 11:14 PM Feb 22nd via bit.ly
6. RT @ JamesTurnbull @suzyinseoul: it’s been 5 years since she took her own life. Lee Eun-ju ‘only when i sleep’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jij9Vrvzu_Q 2:20 PM Feb 22nd via HootSuite

   Click here to view the embedded video.

7. Not so long ago Korean boffins invented space kimchi. Now they’ve moved on to space bulgogi. Next, space poktanju? http://bit.ly/bOSuGM 8:27 PM Feb 23rd via bit.ly
8. It doesn’t seem possible: Kyung-wha Chung’s 40 years in the recording industry. One of her best was the Walton. http://bit.ly/bZ5YcJ 8:40 PM Feb 23rd via bit.ly
9. 어머나! Jang Yoon-jeong is “Putri Cia Cia”. Her Indonesian hangeul diplomacy is rewarded – honoured by local tribe. http://bit.ly/9fNfM7 11:27 PM Feb 23rd via bit.ly
10. If you’re going to get locked up in a foreign country, Korea doesn’t seem such a bad place to get jailed: JoongAng Ilbo http://bit.ly/amlzj2 12:06 AM Feb 25th via bit.ly
11. Finally dropped off the front page of the blog that was sending 1,000s of people daily to my pics of Jeju Love Land. What a relief. 8:47 AM Feb 25th via Twitter Tools
12. I hope KimYu-na continues to excel. It just makes me nervous when expectations are so sky-high. 1:29 PM Feb 25th via Twitter Tools
13. Congratulations to Kim Yu-na on record-breaking gold. What a relief! Hope they bring out a DVD. http://bit.ly/bfFbSh 9:57 AM Feb 26th via bit.ly
14. Korean-American girls tough to date http://bit.ly/c87UKY – maybe because Koreans most materialistic people in the world http://bit.ly/8XUOGQ 9:48 PM Feb 27th via bit.ly
15. 50 new Korean Studies centres to be set up in 27 countries, and major archive to be reopened, in international expansion of Korean Studies http://bit.ly/d6nEh1 10:01 PM Feb 27th via bit.ly
16. Good to see so many new members at the Korean Artists Association meeting the other night. Planning an event/workshop in the KCC in August. 12:35 PM Feb 28th via web
17. North Korea’s woman traffic-cops and the robotic mime they do: Boing Boing http://bit.ly/9Ajs6w 1:11 PM Feb 28th via bit.ly

    Click here to view the embedded video.

18. RT @newkoreancinema: This is great news: ‘Breathless’ is getting a 2-disc DVD UK release on 22nd March with a stack of extras… 5:44 PM Mar 3rd via web
19. FSA’s Lord Turner seems to approve of Korea’s move in regulating new banking products. Will the UK follow? FT. http://bit.ly/dvihah #
20. So excited – Nah Youn Sun, responsible for LKL's gig of the year 2009, is performing at the QEH as support act 15 March http://bit.ly/cKjrUH #
21. Yay! 2-0, and Ash managed to get an interview with Park Ji-sung and Saharial got some good pics. All in all, a good afternoon #
22. Vote for your favourite Korea blog at 10 Magazine – if you don't see one you like you can add one to the list: http://bit.ly/bpzVjn #
23. Finnish model looking for husband in Korea http://bit.ly/dpYAZ3. Coincidentally, Mr World contest starts the next week http://bit.ly/bXePLo #
24. Good to see a feature on Debbie Han, a regular in the London Korean Art scene, in the Korea Times: http://bit.ly/9vd99B #
25. Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young: enough already. http://bit.ly/8ZI8Kf , http://bit.ly/c6JJhH , and just about everywhere else #

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Good news for K-rock fans near Southampton. Biuret, the overall SUTASI Pan Asian winner 2009, will be performing at The Brook, Sunday March 14th at 9.20pm. They’ve also been invited to perform at the International Live Music Conference in London on 12 March. After their Southampton gig they’re off to Vietnam to perform in Ho Chi Minh City, where they headline at The Hi-Fi on 19 March.

Here’s a sample of their style:

Click here to view the embedded video.

At present the only English-language information I can provide about the band is the following press release:

Formed in 2002, Biuret, is a high energy, dynamic Rock Pop Band led by the stunning Hye Won Moon (Lead Vocal, Guitar, Songwriter) and supported by Jai Hyun Ahn (Bass Guitar) and Gyo Won Lee (Lead Guitar)

Biuret released their first EP in 2005 and within months sold out the first pressing. Since then the band has been working extremely hard to perfect their performances, original songs and sound, performing in over 600 live shows from Clubs, College Festivals, TV Appearances, Musical Theatre Productions, Rock Festivals to Opening for British Rock Group Oasis.

This energetic, dominate band manages to deliver what we love about rock whilst still keeping elements of pop in the mix, it is no surprise that they are the Sutasi 2009 Overall Winners (A Pan-Asian Music Search to find the Best Contemporary Act across Asia). Since winning the Sutasi title, Biuret have been busy working on a new album as well as performing in Korea, Australia, Japan and London.

The Sutasi Prize will see the band collaborate with major US Songwriters and Producers to create their first International Release scheduled for May 2010.

Biuret are three beautifully stunning, sexy artists who incorporate strong emotional vocals, infectious live performances and superior musicianship.

This, together with their amazing natural talent, energy and charisma delivers a band that you won’t forget and everyone is going to want to know about.

Their first full-length album, Be full of Spirit: Beautiful Violet, was released in 2007, with their second, Dreams Come True, following in 2009. Both are available from YesAsia, and will appeal particularly to fans of Cherry Filter.

Some more samples:

Find your way – part of the soundtrack for the online racing-MMORPG “Raycity”

Click here to view the embedded video.

거짓말 (Lies), from their first full-length album Be Full of Spirit – Beautiful Violet (2007)

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Brook is at 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD [Map]

Appearing with Biuret will be The Macaulay’s, Saracens, Melodramas and Summers.

Links:

• Biuret on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/biuret1
• Biuret on Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Biuret
• Official Biuret website: http://cafe.daum.net/biuret
• The Brook website
• Buy tickets here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/73231

News of next Thursday’s screening at the KCC. A Korean film expert at Cambridge tells me: “Daytime Drinking is very good. A young person’s film that even old geezers can appreciate, I found.”

Film title: Daytime Drinking, 116mins
Director: Noh Young-seok
Cast: Song Sam-dong
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, The Korean Cultural Centre, Grand Buildings, The Strand, London WC2N 5BW
Time: Thursday, 11th March, 7:00pm

Before this film screening, guests will be invited to enjoy Soju Korean vodka tasting and light snacks.

Hyuk-Jin has just broken up with his girlfriend and decides to take a trip to Jeongseon in the province of Gangwon-do. The next day, his friends are too hung over to get up, so Hyuk-Jin makes his way to his destination alone. A trip of opportunity takes a cruel and unexpected turn as misunderstanding and crossed paths occur over and over again.

“Daytime Drinking” is proof that a good script and simpatico direction and performances can overcome budgetary restrictions. An ultra-Korean tale, anchored by the social courtesies of soju consumption, is a mildly black comedy of escalating misadventures that should speak to audiences worldwide.

Some of the movie’s humour trades on the niceties of South Korea’s drinking culture (which, unlike in the West, always involves food as well) and of accepting beverages out of politeness. But the film is never about drinking itself, or its pernicious side effects.

The script’s humour reflects the grim, gray wintery locations, and has much fun with the locals’ gruff social attitudes – way different from those in Seoul, which seems light years away.

Source: www.variety.com

Booking is required, please RSVP to info@kccuk.org.uk or call 020 7004 2600
Admission is free.

Aashish Gadhvi reviews South Korea’s resounding 2-0 victory over the Ivory Coast. With photos by Aashish and Saharial.

Have you ever had a dream that was so perfect that the moment you wake up you try your very best to go back to sleep and experience it all over again? Well I had one of those experiences, except that when I woke up on Thursday morning, I realised that it wasn’t a dream at all but sweet sweet reality. The build up to this game had been a particularly difficult one for myself in terms of organisation. I don’t know what it is about football clubs, but they seem to be run by the most incompetent people in the wide world of sports. As an armchair Brentford supporter, I do not have the most positive view of our blue striped West London rivals Queens Park Rangers. This Tuesday did absolutely nothing to help that view, and after a long battle with security and stewards, getting to our seats was an almighty relief. Our seats were right in the nosebleeds but we were in some good company. Amongst us were like managerial elite, the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Dunga, Sven Goran Eriksson, Mick McCarthy, Roy Hodgon, Peter Reid and Ray Wilkins. No doubt some of the players on display were on their shopping lists for next year.

The attendance was similar to that of the Serbia friendly. Only one side of the ground was open and all of the spaces there were occupied, and this time it was 99.9% Korean. The noise was great throughout as expected and the free t-shirts that were being given away added an extra sweet taste to the start of the day! Getting back to the football, in all honestly, I am very happy to be proved wrong. A French journalist next to me said ‘score’ in a heavy French accent, and with the little French I learnt at GCSE I said back to him ‘Coree un, Cote d’Ivoire un’, being the diplomat I am and going for a 1-1 draw. I asked him the same question and he responded ‘Cote d’Ivoire trois, Coree zero!’ What a start to the day. The match then got underway and I was convinced that Korea’s white and blue strip was a bad omen, added to that the Ivory Coast’s home kit is in the colours of the Indian flag, and how can any patriotic Indian like myself wish defeat upon a team who wears the tricolours of the Motherland? It was then that I looked on in astonishment as Lee Dong-gook’s side footed volley smacked the roof of the net inside three minutes. I jumped out of seat and screamed, turned around to my French companion who simply had a look of Gallic confusion on his face.

The Korean team celebrate after the first goal

The second sweet moment of the day. But remembering the experience of the Serbia friendly I didn’t get too excited. But Ivory Coast were simply not up to the task, and amazingly, Korea completely outclassed them. Many of the players in the Ivory Coast team may have their minds on other competitions, i.e. Didier Drogba, but they did attack and they did have chances and Korea met them at every point. Cha Doo-ri had the right wing on lock down, and no one was able to get past him. Didier Drogba who is twice the size of most of the Korean defenders struggled as well. Every time he got the ball three or four Korean defenders would pounce on him like a group of little Jack Russells. But even then Ivory Coast did have some good chances. Abdul Keita had a great chance, but Lee Woon-jae, who had an outstanding game, made save after save and kept the Ivory Coast out. In fact it was Korea who went closest from there on with captain Park Ji-sung hitting wide from just inside the box.

The second half was even better for Korea. The midfield kept the ball moving and created numerous chances. All in all Korea were the better team. What was most pleasing was we were treated to a vintage FC Seoul exhibition show as the ‘Double Dragon’ twins Lee Chung-yong and Ki Sung-yong linked up and turned on the style. These two created to chances on their own, one ending in Ki Sung-yong hitting the ball into the side netting and the other with Lee’s cross just going a little too far for Ki to turn the ball in from point blank. Korea finally killed the game off in the dying moments when Kim Jae-sung crossed the free kick into Kwak Tae-hwi who headed in the second. What was most pleasing is that both of these two came on as substitutes, which could be a good sign as to Korea’s strength in depth.

Lee Jung-soo

The only dampener on the day was defender Lee Jung-soo being stretchered off, which was a bad sight as he was having a great game. Hopefully he will recover soon. All in all every player played their part but my man of the match would have to be Cha Doo-ri who performed so brilliantly down the right wing in closing the Ivory Coast down at every given opportunity. Lee Dong-gook also looked sharp, as did Lee Chung-yong. This is a fantastic result for Korea, but they still shouldn’t get carried away. Playing a friendly and playing in the World Cup are two completely different ball games, and no one should start thinking that this is any kind of indication of what will happen in South Africa. It is however a great confidence boost for now, and if Korea can perform like they did here, then they will be able to compete with the best in the world.

After the match, I attended the press mixed zone, which no QPR member of staff seemed to be aware of. After the interviews, I saw my teenage hero Ahn Jung-hwan, and I was just as giddy seeing him at that time as I was seeing him on television in 2002. I screamed out his name and showed him the replica 2002 World Cup shirt I was wearing with his name and number on it. He walked over to me, asked for a pen from one of the KFA officials, and signed his name on my shirt, just above his number 19.

Ahn Jung-hwan's autographed shirt

I thanked him in Korean for the kind gesture. He shook my hand and commended me on my pronunciation. He was then whisked away again. And in a heartbeat it was all over. In this day and age, football, money, scandal and celebrity all seem to go hand in hand. In the past week, the actions of Ki Sung-yong and of Ahn Jung-hwan have shown why I support this team despite not being Korean myself. The Korean players are by no means angels; Lee Woon-jae and Lee Dong-gook have proven that. Perhaps there is no real explanation for it, but there is something about this team and its supports, for what it represents and for what is evokes, that just makes you want to support them above anyone else. Even though I had an amazing day and got closer to my heroes than I have ever done before, I just wish that I could tell Ahn Jung-hwan, just for a moment, how much what he has done means to me.

Stay tuned for Aashish’s interviews with Lee Young-pyo and Park Ji-sung. More of Saharial’s photos of the match are here.