LKL reports from the one-day seminar on Joseon Dynasty Court Painting held at SOAS on 29 March 2010. Last year, SOAS in conjunction with the Academy of Korean Studies and the British Museum presented a one-day workshop on folk art. As a follow-up event, this year the workshop looked at work from the other end … [Read More]
Front Page
Five from the archive
In pictures: New Malden’s Chuseok Harvest Fest
The fickle Autumn weather smiled on New Malden’s Chuseok festivities last weekend. With pent-up demand resulting from lockdown and the lack of the usual independence day celebrations in mid-August, and the sunny weather beckoning people out onto the streets, the celebrations were almost too successful. LKL was there in time for the opening speeches and … [Read More]
The Hidden Cost of Prosperity – a brave and rewarding exhibition at the KCC
Probably the bravest and among the most thought-provoking exhibitions that the KCC has hosted in its five year history is The Hidden Cost of Prosperity, a look at the darker side of the Miracle on the Han – the exploited underclass. The exhibition was one of the winners of the KCC’s Call for Curators, a … [Read More]
S Korea v Ivory Coast: interviews with Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo
Aashish Gadhvi managed to interview two key members of the South Korean world cup squad after the match with Ivory Coast last week. First, Lee Young-pyo, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur. Next, probably Korea’s best known player, Park Ji-sung. No subtitles this time: both interviews are in English. This wraps up LKL’s coverage of the South … [Read More]
LKL Critics’ Choice 2010: Mark Russell
Mark Russell returns with his pick of 2010’s releases First of all, 2010 was a very good year for Korean indie music. I had not even noticed until I started putting together this list, when I kept rediscovering one solid album after another. Not just great in one genre or another, the Korean music scene … [Read More]
Recent Posts
Bleak, relatable, daring, humane: how Korean literature emerged from its niche
The following is the text of the talk I submitted to the LTI Korea conference held in Seoul on 1 – 3 July 2026 celebrating their 30th birthday. I am grateful to LTI Korea for the invitation to present, and to those who helped and encouraged me in the preparation. Special thanks go to literary … [Read More]
The LKL Korean Literature in Translation survey: a quick look at the results
A few months ago I asked for your help with preparing for a talk at a conference organised by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea to celebrate their 30th birthday. The brief for my talk was, to quote from the email I received commissioning it, “how Korean literature is received by English-speaking readers — what … [Read More]
July events
Twin highlights this month: BTS’s comeback and Yunchan Lim opening the Proms. Tickets for both are like gold dust. Exhibitions The KCCUK’s summer exhibition, Korean Traditional Painting in Alter-age: Pure and Hybrid, is on all month. Look out for special events associated with the exhibition. Experience Young Huh’s maximalist minhwa interior design style at WOWHouse … [Read More]
In pictures: Icheon and Beyond — The Space Within Form
In the past few years, the potters and other artisans of Icheon have shown off the beauty of their work at the Collect craft fair, in partnership with Han Collection. That arrangement worked well for a few years, but had its limitations. On the one hand, Collect gave them the opportunity to find buyers for … [Read More]
In pictures: Songs beneath the Sacred Tree
It was a huge privilege to be one of the few members of the audience when two leading practitioners of the East Coast Byeolshin Gut tradition displayed their talents in Durham’s music department towards the end of May. Husband and wife team Hong Hyojin and Jung Younrak continue the traditions of the hereditary shaman practice, … [Read More]
K-music Festival 2026: the official press release
Here is the official press release for the 2026 K-music festival, released earlier today. Much to look forward to! Europe’s Largest Korean Music Festival Beyond Genre Boundaries 28 Sep – 23 Nov 2026 From folk traditions and experimental sound art to gaming soundtracks, jazz, hip-hop and indie rock, K-Music Festival returns to showcase the depth, … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Hong Sangsoo’s The Day She Returns, at the ICA
The Day She Returns follows actress Bae Jeongsu (Song Sunmi), who, having stepped back from acting after marriage and a subsequent divorce, returns to the profession with a role in an independent film. As the film’s release approaches, she takes part in a series of press interviews. A subtle meditation on memory and performance, Hong … [Read More]
Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony: UK theatrical release
A biotech conference turns catastrophic when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed, trapping survivors inside as they fight to escape. Yeon Sang-ho’s latest movie, Colony, gets a UK theatrical release on 28 August. Exact locations and other details tba
Sangeun Lee in world premiere of Jae Man Joo’s Auguries of Innocence
English National Ballet lead principal Sangeun Lee will be featuring in the world premiere of Jae Man Joo’s Auguries of Innocence, in a compelling triple bill entitled Rhythm Riot that launches the company’s Autumn season: One stage, three moods. Explosive energy. Deep resonance. Unstoppable drive. Feel the pulse of ballet now. Experience all the music … [Read More]
An Evening with Pachinko author Min Jin Lee: American Hagwon
Min Jin Lee is the award-winning author of Pachinko, a multigenerational saga about the lives of Koreans in Japan during an era of colonisation, war and upheaval. The much-loved novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and later adapted into a critically-acclaimed television series for Apple TV+. This October, Lee comes to the Intelligence Squared … [Read More]
Korean musical: You & It
South Korea’s award-winning musical sensation arrives in London. Following sold-out acclaim across Asia and a triumphant Edinburgh Fringe run, You & It transfers to the King’s Head Theatre, Islington, for a limited season. A grieving widower meets an artificial intelligence built in his late wife’s image — and must confront grief, memory, and what it truly … [Read More]
[Leeds] From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation
![Thumbnail for post: [Leeds] From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation](https://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/starfield-suwon-120x120.jpg)
How do Korean stories travel from Seoul to readers around the world? What happens between the writer’s desk and the English-language page? And how are contemporary Korean authors reaching global audiences today? Join award-winning writers Kim Keum-hee and Hwang Bo-reum, together with translator Clare Richards and scholar Dr Eugene Kim, for a day of readings … [Read More]
The above events list includes recent updates to events which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update confirming venue or ticket link). A chronological listing of all event notices published, most recent first, can be found here. A list of all upcoming events can be found here.
Recent Book updates
A Tender Age [forthcoming]
From the Pulitzer Prize shortlisted novelist, a story of guilt, innocence, and a boy on the cusp of adolescence ‘Lee’s latest novel is a tale of almosts: a family of working-class immigrants almost living the American dream; an 11-year-old boy, almost transitioning into adulthood and straddling the worlds of his doting Korean parents and a … [Read More]
My Father’s Liberation [forthcoming]
Over the course of a three-day funeral, a woman discovers new sides to her deceased father in this hilarious and heart-tugging masterwork from one of Korea’s most fearless writers. So, Father died. Slammed his head into a telephone pole. A very serious man had seriously come to the end of a seriously lived life by … [Read More]
Those Who Prepare the Way (The Bird that Drinks Tears vol 2) [forthcoming]
In the breathtaking sequel to Lee Young-do’s acclaimed fantasy series that started with The Heart of the Nhaga, an unlikely leader must bridge the divide between duty and destiny. Available for the first time in English by award-winning translator Anton Hur. In a world teetering on the brink of another devastating war, old hatreds run … [Read More]
Employee No. 9 [forthcoming]
With shades of Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Choi Jin-young’s Hunger, Employee No. 9 runs a psychological gauntlet of money, power, personal responsibility, and the daily struggle for survival. No. 9 is in trouble. His son’s college tuition is coming due, his wife needs surgery after taking double shifts at a grocery store, the … [Read More]
Korea Around the Table: Food and Global Korean Identities [forthcoming]
Korea Around the Table: Food and Global Korean Identities brings together leading scholars to examine how Korean cuisine encodes identity, memory, and belonging across local and global contexts. From the early adoption of chili peppers on the Korean peninsula to the proliferation of sundubu jjigae restaurants in suburban New Jersey, this groundbreaking volume shows how … [Read More]
On the Balance Beam [forthcoming]
Once Ko Mani dreamt of becoming a professional gymnast. Life, however, had other plans for her. Today she has an office job and lives with her parents in the same house and poor part of Seoul in which she grew up. When she unexpectedly finds herself out of work, however, her old ambitions resurface. At … [Read More]
The above booklist includes recent updates to books which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update to reflect a release of cover art, or a new review). A chronological listing of all books uploaded, most recent first, can be found here.