London Photo Gallery - New Malden

Located in the suburban southwestern reaches, New Malden is home to London's Korean community, and believed to be the largest concentration in Europe. It is estimated that around 10,000 Koreans live in New Malden and up to a further 20,000 in surrounding areas, while Samsung Electronics had its UK offices here until 2005 and the South Korean ambassador once lived here. In 2023, the United Kingdom and Korea celebrated 140 years of diplomatic relations. King Charles visited the area in November that year,, and an earl grey-flavoured birthday cake was presented to him. High Street has a very visible Korean presence although the section is not particularly long. Nevertheless, there are a number of restaurants on offer, including typical staples such as BBQ, bibimbap, and even bingsoo, a dessert made of shaved frozen milk or cream. I had arrived for lunch but many restaurants are not open all day with a break during the afternoon before re-opening for dinner. A few more Korean establishments line Kingston Road, which meets High Street in a traffic circle with a fountain in the middle. Meanwhile, the side streets are mainly residential with highrises clustered around the railway station. From here, it is less than half hour to reach London Waterloo.