Gajok | Ep. 3 | The One-Year Anniversary of The Atlanta Spa Shootings

This episode is in memory of the eight victims who lost their lives in the Atlanta Spa Shootings last year, on March 16, 2021. I open the episode by reading a piece I wrote the day after the Atlanta Spa Shootings. Then Greg and I have a conversation about how we felt that day, all the days that followed, how we feel about it today, and how the Atlanta Spa Shooting changed everything for us. We then read and discuss an excerpt of a Vanity Fair article written by May Jeong, called, “How the Atlanta Spa Shootings — The Victims, The Survivors — Tell A Story of America.” We end with a poem I wrote the day after the Atlanta Spa Shootings called, “We Are Still Here.”

Support Gajok on Patreon: patreon.com/jieunandgreg
Connect with us on social media: instagram.com/jieunandgreg & instagram.com/wearegajok
Send us your thoughts and feedback: jieunandgreg@gmail.com

The photo used in the album art of this episode was taken by Philadelphia-based photojournalist photographer, Hannah Yoon, shortly after the Atlanta Spa Shootings. This is a photo of Gold Spa, taken on a rainy Friday, four days after the Atlanta Spa Shootings. You can find Hannah and her work on her website: hannahyoon.com

Co-host & Producer: Jieun Ko | Co-host, Producer, & Audio Engineer: Gregory Ko

Gajok | Ep. 2 | In Memory of Christina Yuna Lee

This episode is in memory of Christina Yuna Lee. I open the episode by reading part of a tribute I wrote for Yuna. Greg and I then have a conversation about how we’ve been coping with and processing her death. We then move into sharing a few stories that were shared by Yuna’s good friends at Splice. And we close the episode by sharing letters that were written to Yuna. These letters were sent in to us, from Asian Americans across the country, as a part of a community-wide letter-writing initiative I started called: Letters for Yuna.

Support the Christina Yuna Lee Memorial Fund: gofundme.com/f/christina-yuna-lee-memorial-fund
Support Gajok on Patreon: patreon.com/jieunandgreg
Connect with us on Social Media: instagram.com/jieunandgreg & instagram.com/wearegajok
Send us your Thoughts and Feedback: jieunandgreg@gmail.com

Co-host + Producer: Jieun Ko | Co-host, Producer, + Audio Engineer: Gregory Ko

Gajok | Ep. 1 | My Name is Jieun: Reclaiming My Name

Welcome to our first official episode of Gajok! We are Jieun & Greg, a Brooklyn-based, folk-soul duo, and the two hosts of this podcast. In this episode, I share my story of reclaiming my name. On December 31, 2021 — New Year's Eve — I decided to officially reclaim my birth name, Jieun, and surrender my anglicized name, Chi.

I open this episode by reading a letter I wrote called, “My Name is Jieun.” In the second half of this episode, I talk about what it was like to grow up as one of the only Asian Americans in my extremely white communities in Northern Virginia, how that affected the way I viewed myself, and how the last two years of extreme anti-Asian racism and violence has led me to an Asian American awakening, and ultimately, the decision to reclaim my birth name.

Support Gajok on Patreon: patreon.com/jieunandgreg
Connect with us on Social Media: instagram.com/jieunandgreg & instagram.com/wearegajok
Send us your Thoughts and Feedback: jieunandgreg@gmail.com

Co-host + Producer: Jieun Ko | Co-host, Producer, + Audio Engineer: Gregory Ko

Introducing: Gajok

Welcome to the introductory episode of Gajok!

We are Jieun & Greg, a Brooklyn-based, singer-songwriter duo, and the two hosts of this podcast. During this episode, Jieun and I discuss what Gajok is, what it means, and our inspiration for starting this podcast. Jieun also shares about her life after her father was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2020.

Support Gajok on Patreon: patreon.com/jieunandgreg
Connect with us on Social Media: instagram.com/jieunandgreg & instagram.com/wearegajok
Send us your Thoughts and Feedback: jieunandgreg@gmail.com

Co-host + Producer: Jieun Ko | Co-host, Producer, + Audio Engineer: Gregory Ko