South Korea Discovery of Haenyo quotWomen of the Seaquot Franceinfo

South Korea: Discovery of Haenyo, "Women of the Sea" -Franceinfo

Published on September 12, 2023 8:54 p.m

Video length: 2 min

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South Korea: Discovery of the Haenyo, “the women of the sea” – ()

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Article written by France 2 – H. Abdelkhalek, V. Reynaud, H. Joon Oh, M. Gyung Park

France TV

On Jeju Island, women aged 70 and over dive every day in search of abalone, sea urchins and other shellfish. An activity that allows them to earn a living.

It is nicknamed “Korean Hawaii.” And it's true that Jeju Island in South Korea sometimes looks like a tropical Eden with its crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches. Jeju is now the number one tourist destination for South Koreans. A volcanic island where a community of female divers continues a unique tradition.

That morning, at dawn, like almost every day, about fifty ladies, on average 70 years old, were getting ready. And today the dean is Madame Yang, 84 years old. She has been diving for more than 60 years: “Yes, it is difficult, but I have to earn money. I won’t ask my children for money.”

Women of the Sea

They are called Haenyo, literally “the women of the sea.” Free divers fish for abalone, sea urchins or sea cucumbers. Today's program consists of four hours of work in the water to harvest mussels. Each Haenyo free dives for a minute or two, sometimes up to 10 meters deep.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in South Korea, which was then very poor, this activity enabled women to earn a living while men worked in the fields. In the 1950s there were more than 30,000 haenyo. Today there are only 2,000 to 3,000.

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