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In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Kevin celebrates the Korean ceremony of Jesa and travels through a sacred cosmic tree. 

This story represents the importance of Sacred Trees in South Korean mythology. These trees are usually outside of villages in South Korea, and they are the location for the community's rituals. According to Korean shamanism, the Sacred Tree, also known as the Cosmic Tree, keeps a connection between the mortal and the spirit realms.

This episode was produced by Studio Ochenta for Trax on PRX. Hosted by Yara Shahidi. This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX. Kevin was voiced by Jonathan Kim. Kevin’s Dad was voiced by G-Su Paek. Halmeoni was voiced by Patty Sang, and Harabeoji was voiced by June Yoon. Special thanks to the CultureVerse editorial team for this episode, Dr. Kiona, David Yi and Ji-Youn Kim for advising on elements from Korean culture.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Korean folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.