Giaae Kwon

Profile Photo

Giaae Kwon is always hungry. Her writing has also appeared in The Rumpus, Buzzfeed Reader, and elsewhere, and she writes the Substack I Love You, Egg. She lives in Brooklyn.

Stories

Cover Photo: Photograph via JTBC
Dear Shinhwa, I Found My Joy in K-Pop Fandom

Joy is not something I’ve carried naturally.

Feb 24, 2022
Cover Photo: An image of Tiffany Young for one of her solo albums
Dear Tiffany, What Does It Mean to be ‘Korean Enough’?

In pretty much every K-pop group, there is the designated One From America.

Jan 20, 2022
Cover Photo: An image of Irene from Red Velvet against  a red background
Dear Irene, I’m Still Learning How to Be a Feminist Too

To be a K-pop fan is to bear witness to a whole lot of dumb shit.

Dec 13, 2021
Cover Photo:  Photograph via SM/Avex Trax/Rhythm Zone
Cover Photo: photograph of Taeyeon in a long-sleeved burnt sienna dress against a dark blue background, head tilted to her left, eyes downcast, one arm extended up, hand resting on the back of her head
Dear Taeyeon, It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

Giaae Kwon on Taeyeon, living with depression and suicidal thinking, and how she cares for herself by caring for others—including GomSom, her beloved dogs.

May 12, 2021
Cover Photo: IU, wearing a pink gown and a sparkling necklace and headband, gazing out from between pale green doors
Dear IU, Our Bodies Are Fine

I knew my body wasn’t ‘right’; it didn’t look like the bodies of the K-pop idols and Korean actresses I grew up admiring.

Mar 11, 2021
Cover Photo: Photograph via KBS
Dear H.O.T., I’ll Love You Forever

My obsession with the group was the first step I took away from the life prescribed to me as the Korean American daughter of devout Christian parents.

Feb 08, 2021
Cover Photo: A collage of dishes and plates from the Momofuku restaurant Kawi in New York City
Finding Home and Comfort in the Food of Korean American Chef Eunjo Park

Eunjo Park, the executive chef at Momofuku’s Kawi, is cooking her way through it. Her food is a reminder that it’s okay not to be one-hundred percent anything.

Dec 03, 2019