Haenyeo is a Korean female diver, who lives off harvesting various mollusks, seaweed, and other creatures from the ocean. A haenyeo (also spelled haenyo) is representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju. A haenyeo also displays a strong sense of independence, iron will, and determination.
Since the 4th century AD, diving has been a tradition in Jeju. It was a male-dominated profession with women joining their husbands while diving. The first mention of female divers in literature comes from a 17th-century monograph about Jeju geography, referring to them as jamnyeo (literally, diving women).
This shift may be explained by a variety of factors. For instance, many men died at sea during wartime or during deep-sea fishing accidents, which made diving a woman's job. An 18th-century document describes a tax on dried abalone being imposed on ordinary people. This forced many women to dive in cold water while pregnant.
On Jeju Island, there is a community of women, many of them in their eighties, who dive 10m under the sea without the use of oxygen masks to gather shellfish, such as abalone or sea urchins.
Based on their knowledge of the ocean and marine life, the Jeju haenyeo (female divers) go on harvest for up to seven hours a day, 90 days a year. They hold their breath for just one minute on each dive and make a distinct sound each time they surface.
Divers are classified into three groups based on their experience: haguns, jungguns, and sangguns, with the sanggun offering guidance to the other groups. A special prayer is offered before diving to the goddess of the sea, Jamsugut, in order to ask for safety and abundant catch.
Families, schools, fishing cooperatives with the area's fishing rights, Haenyeo associations, the Haenyeo Museum, and the Haenyeo School transfer knowledge to younger generations.
It has been designated by the Jeju provincial government as a symbol of the island's character and spirit, and it has also contributed to advancing women in the community and promoting environmental sustainability with its use of eco-friendly methods and participation in fisheries management.
The haenyeo was responsible for the majority of family income on Jeju, a semi-matriarchal society developed on the island with the haenyeo at the head of the family.
Currently, haenyeo are regarded as a treasure of Jeju. The Korean government honors their contributions to the island's culture by subsidizing their gear and granting them exclusive sales rights to fresh seafood.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/culture-of-jeju-haenyeo-women-divers-01068) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haenyeo)