choa’s fifth volume explores the complexities of i-byeol. Sometimes, i-byeol can be a quiet decision made by individuals. More often than not, entire communities are violently separated from their families, homes, motherlands, culture, and traditions. Continued.
VOLUME 5 | 2026
Illustration by Lilosome
I-byeol—farewell, parting—arrives in many forms. A quiet goodbye, a sudden rupture. A choice or a compelled parting. Some farewells carry regret; others, relief. Some are whispered, some spoken, some left unsaid. Some linger in memory, others fade with time.
In this volume, we turn toward the many faces of parting—with people and places, with oneself, and with the intangible. What does it mean to let go of a person, an experience, a home, or a dream? How do we navigate distances—physical, emotional, generational? What does it mean to say goodbye when it’s not on our own terms? Through these stories, we hope you might pause to reflect on your own i-byeols—finding recognition in one another, and perhaps, within them, a quiet sense of strength and hope.
이별은 여러 모습으로 찾아옵니다. 조용히 스며들기도, 갑작스레 끊어지기도 합니다. 선택한 이별도 있고, 어쩔 수 없이 맞이한 이별도 있습니다. 후회로 남기도, 안도로 스치기도 하며, 오래 머물거나 이내 희미해집니다. 그리고 지금, <초아>는 마지막 호를 맞이하며 또 하나의 이별 앞에 서 있습니다. 이 이야기들을 통해 각자의 이별을 돌아보고, 서로의 마음에 공감하며, 그 안에서 작은 위로와 새로운 힘을 발견할 수 있기를 바랍니다.
In this volume, we turn toward the many faces of parting—with people and places, with oneself, and with the intangible. What does it mean to let go of a person, an experience, a home, or a dream? How do we navigate distances—physical, emotional, generational? What does it mean to say goodbye when it’s not on our own terms? Through these stories, we hope you might pause to reflect on your own i-byeols—finding recognition in one another, and perhaps, within them, a quiet sense of strength and hope.
이별은 여러 모습으로 찾아옵니다. 조용히 스며들기도, 갑작스레 끊어지기도 합니다. 선택한 이별도 있고, 어쩔 수 없이 맞이한 이별도 있습니다. 후회로 남기도, 안도로 스치기도 하며, 오래 머물거나 이내 희미해집니다. 그리고 지금, <초아>는 마지막 호를 맞이하며 또 하나의 이별 앞에 서 있습니다. 이 이야기들을 통해 각자의 이별을 돌아보고, 서로의 마음에 공감하며, 그 안에서 작은 위로와 새로운 힘을 발견할 수 있기를 바랍니다.
Every volume changes depending on who is involved, what they have to say, and how they need it to be held. And each piece in this volume will leave you with something that lingers far longer than any goodbye.
Founders Harriet Kim and Mirae Lee reflect on the stories that linger beyond its pages.
With cover art by Lilosome
Founders Harriet Kim and Mirae Lee reflect on the stories that linger beyond its pages.
With cover art by Lilosome
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Sonya Lee on the Climate Crisis Through a Lens of Food and Culture, Ethical Ocean Storytelling, and Mobilizing as the Nation
"My connection to the ocean is actually from my Korean culture. It's so foundational that we don't even think about it, but it's on our table, and it's very obvious once you start looking." Interview by Harriet Kim (Photo: River Road Films) |
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MV Sewol
"if i had known that i would never hold you in my arms again" Poem by Melanie Hyo-In Han Photo by Jun Michael Park |
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Letters for 아빠
"How have I gone six months without you telling me, 조심 조심, or asking me, 뭐 해? How have I gone six months without you here with me?" Photos & Text by Jieun Ko |
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The Door Between Us
"Tomorrow, a new chapter begins. Not the one that I had planned, anticipated, or dreamed about, but one that's real." Photos & Text by Seohyeon Cheon |
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Becky White on Building The Halfie Project, Holding the Weight of Other People's Stories, and the Farewells That Shaped Her
"Can you process that grief and anger of saying goodbye so that you can move on to have a better life?" Interview by Mirae Lee & Harriet Kim |
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The Hidden Box of Love Letters
"I got to meet my grandparents again, not as my halmuni and harabuji, but as a young couple, writing their way through longing and love." Photos & Text by Janet Kwak |
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Dr. Sangah Lee on the Grassroots History of Pansori, the Voices of Disability Activists in Protest, and What Arirang Means to Her
"It's really common for protestors to produce one voice. But collective by definition is an aggregate of diverse people." Interview by Harriet Kim |
