For this month’s profile, instead of profiling one inspiring woman, we are highlighting an entire group of inspiring women – the haenyeo (women divers) of Jeju, South Korea. The culture of Jeju haenyeo dates back to the 17th century, and in 2016 was officially recognized by UNESCO, for their Intangible Cultural Heritage. These amazing women freedive up to 20 m under the sea without the aid of oxygen, typically holding their breath for two to three minutes to harvest sea life such as abalone, sea urchins, and kelp by hand. When surfacing, they make unique high-pitched whistles that functionally empty the lungs, reduce buoyancy, and make it easier for the women to descend on their next dive. After each dive, the catch is then deposited in a net sack tied to a float. These hard-working women dive up to 7 hours a day, 90 days a year in waters as cold as 10 degrees Celsius.
This fascinating semi-matriarchal community of women is unique to Jeju, where the haenyeo tend to be the primary breadwinner and laborer of their household. Traditionally the practice is handed down from mother to daughter, and young women train to become haenyeo starting around age 11. There is a strict hierarchy depending on experience and age; the experienced women offer guidance to the more inexperienced divers, and young divers stay clear of the shallow waters where the older and weaker women dive. Knowledge is passed down to younger generations not only in families, but in schools, local fishery cooperatives, and haenyeo associations. The number of haenyeo, however, has declined from around 26,000 in the 1960s to around 4,500 today; the majority of current haenyeo are in their 50s, but some are still diving well into their 80s. To help preserve the culture of haenyeo, the Jeju government pays for wet suits, subsidizes medical and accident insurance, and opened the Haenyeo Museum in 2006.
In the Women of Fisheries Book Club, we are currently reading “The Island of Sea Women” which follows the lives of two fictional haenyeo over several decades and how their relationship and community changes over the years. Come and join us if you’d like to learn and discuss the book and “sea women” in general!
References and further information:
Hardy Divers in Korea Strait, ‘Sea Women’ Are Dwindling