There aren't that many UK theatre companies that come to Korea, so when they do, I'm only too happy to go along and support them. Although I'm not really the target audience - it's a children's show - it was still fun to see "Looking for Yoghurt" which was directed by Peter Wynne-Wilson from Birmingham and it's already played in the Birmingham Rep. What makes it all the better from my point of view is that it brings together Korean, Japanese and British characters, all of whom speak their own language yet still manage to communicate with each other. A great metaphor in so many ways. It's playing at the Daehangno Arts Theatre and goes to Kapyong and Yeoncheon before going on to Japan. http://www.hanyong.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk gives some of the background to this collaboration; http://cafe.daum.net/joyfultheatre gives details of the performances in Korea.
And it's great fun. Certainly the children in the audience very clearly - and vocally - enjoyed it.
Posted at 09:52 13 July 2009 by Martin Uden | Comments[0]
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Will Korea stand up for the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner?
Today marks the first day of the Republic of Korea-ASEAN Summit in Jeju Island, just off the south coast of Korea. Leaders from the ten ASEAN countries are meeting with Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak to review their 20 years of official diplomatic relations and to strengthen existing ties.
I will be watching the proceedings of the Summit particularly closely, but not just because this is one of largest diplomatic summits ever hosted by Korea. As an ASEAN member, Burma’s leader, Prime Minister General Thein Sein, is attending the Summit, which coincides with the last day of the trial in Rangoon of opposition leader and Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. Both Korea’s Foreign Minister and ASEAN leaders have already publicly expressed concern about the treatment of Suu Kyi, who was arrested on May 19 and put on trial following the intrusion of a US citizen into her home, where she was under house arrest. Her arrest came just over a week before she was due to be released from years of house arrest.
I sincerely hope Summit attendees will take the opportunity in Jeju of continuing to condemn her recent arrest and trial, and urge General Sein to step back from such counter-productive steps. It is important at this crucial time to keep the eyes of the international community focused on Burma and its human rights abuses.
The world’s public are also ramping up the pressure on Burma’s military leaders. Last week, a website was launched to campaign for her release. Huge numbers of the public are adding their messages of support, including many celebrities and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. You can read the messages of support, add your own and find out more about the campaign at www.64forSuu.org. One feature is that you can add your own 64-word message – something not only our Foreign Secretary, but also David Beckham has done. And so have I!
In addition, our Ambassador in Rangoon is writing a fascinating series of articles for The Guardian newspaper about the trial – really worth a look at http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2009/may/28/aung-san-suu-kyi-trial-ambassador.
(Photo: Demonstration for democracy in Burma, A peaceful demonstration in front of the Burmese Embassy in Seoul calling for the release of Burmese pro-democracy activist, Aung San Suu Kyi in 2008. )
Posted at 13:59 01 June 2009 by Martin Uden | Comments[0]
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