Curated Korea 2026 brings together a selection of contemporary Korean culture across literature, screen and food in a month-long programme across London.

Through screenings, conversations and live events, the programme offers different ways to experience Korea today — through the works, people and ideas that bring its culture to life.

• ●THE ORDINARY JACKPOT

Screening and Conversation

1 October 2026, 6.30pm

Korean Cultural Centre UK

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What if winning the lottery changed everything — except going to work?

The Korean Cultural Centre UK, in collaboration with CJ ENM, presents The Ordinary Jackpot, following an office worker whose lottery win brings not a new life, but a new sense of security.

Following the screening, Diane Min of CJ ENM and Trang Nguyen of K7 Media will discuss the global growth of K-drama and how Korean stories connect with audiences across cultures and markets.

• ●STUDY GROUP

Screening and Conversation

8 October 2026, 7pm

Foyles Charing Cross Road

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A coming-of-age action drama where studying is only half the battle.

Based on the popular Korean webtoon, Study Group follows Youn Ga-min, a student determined to get into college despite having far more talent for fighting than studying.

Following the screening, Shin Hyungwuk and Ryu Seung Yeon, the writer and artist behind the original webtoon, will discuss the story and its journey from webtoon to screen, moderated by Heonjin Lee of CJ ENM.

• ●BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY

Screening and Conversation

9 October 2026, 6pm

RSA House, The Royal Society of Arts

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A time-slip romance where food becomes a language of its own.

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty follows chef Yeon Ji-young, who is transported to the Joseon era and finds herself cooking for a feared king, bringing modern culinary knowledge into the royal court.

Following the screening, director Chang Tae You, Sehee Jang of CJ ENM and Ed Waller of C21Media will discuss the making of the series, its creative journey to screen and the growing international reach of K-drama.

• ●KIM CHOYEOP

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light In Conversation with Barry Pierce
10 October 2026, 5pm
Foyles Charing Cross Road 

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Science fiction that looks to other worlds — and back at our own. 

One of the leading voices in contemporary Korean science fiction, Kim Choyeop brings scientific imagination and emotional depth together to explore connection, difference and what it means to be human.

In conversation with Barry Pierce, Kim will discuss her acclaimed debut collection If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, newly published in English, alongside her latest novel and the ideas that continue to shape her writing.

• ●SOHN WON-PYUNG

Almond In Conversation with Ela Lee
15 October 2026, 7pm
Foyles Charing Cross Road

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From Almond to a near-future Korea — fiction about emotion, empathy and change.

Sohn Won-pyung is the internationally acclaimed author of Almond, a coming-of-age novel exploring emotion, empathy and human connection.

In conversation with Ela Lee, author of Minbak, Sohn will discuss Almond alongside her latest novel, set in a near-future Korea shaped by demographic and generational change, and the ideas about individuals and society that connect her work.

• ●DEAR X

Screening and Conversation
16 October 2026, 6pm
The Garden Cinema

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A psychological thriller about ambition, image and the self behind the mask.

Adapted from a Korean webtoon, Dear X follows Baek Ah-jin, a top actress whose flawless public image conceals a ruthless instinct for survival. As she reaches the height of her career, the world she has carefully constructed begins to unravel.

Following the screening, Diane Min of CJ ENM will share insights into the drama, followed by a short audience Q&A.

• ●MIYE LEE

DallerGut Dream Department Store, Conversation
17 October 2026, 1pm
Merton Arts Space at Wimbledon Library
Part of Wimbledon BookFest

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A world where dreams are bought and sold — and kindness is never far away. 

Miye Lee is the author of the international bestseller DallerGut Dream Department Store, set in a mysterious department store where dreams are bought and sold, offering stories of comfort, connection and everyday kindness.

At Wimbledon BookFest, Lee will discuss the world of DallerGut, the growing international appeal of Korean healing fiction, and the journey of her stories across languages and cultures.

• ●SU SCOTT

Pocha: Simple Korean Food from the Streets of Seoul In Conversation with Jenny Lau

21 October 2026, 7pm

Foyles Charing Cross Road

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Korean street food, shared tables and the culture of pocha.

London-based Korean food writer Su Scott draws on Seoul’s pocha — informal street stalls and drinking spots — to explore food, memory and a sense of home in her latest book, Pocha.

In conversation with Jenny Lau, Scott will discuss the culture of eating together and the connections between food, memory, place and belonging.