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Video length: 2 min
South Korea: discovering the Haenyo, “the women of the sea”
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On Jeju Island, ladies 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 the “Korean Hawaii”. And it’s true that with its crystal clear waters and white sand beaches, the island of Jeju, in South Korea, sometimes looks like a tropical Eden. Jeju is today the number one tourist destination for South Koreans. A volcanic island where a community of women divers perpetuates a unique tradition.
That morning, at dawn, around fifty ladies aged on average 70 years old got ready as they do almost every day. And today, the dean is Madame Yang, 84 years old. She has been diving for over 60 years: “Yes it’s difficult, but I have to earn money. I’m not going to ask my children for money.”
Women of the sea
They are called the Haenyo, literally “the women of the sea”. Freedivers fishing for abalone, sea urchins or sea cucumbers. Today’s program is four hours of work in the water to harvest conch. Each Haenyo freedives for one or two minutes, sometimes up to 10 meters deep.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in South Korea, which was then very poor, this activity allowed women to earn a living while men worked in the fields. In the 1950s, there were more than 30,000 Haenyo. There are only 2,000 to 3,000 left today.
