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South Korea: Discovery of Haenyeo “Sea Women”
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On Jeju Island, women aged 70 and over dive daily for abalone, sea urchins and other shellfish. An activity that allows them to earn a living.
It is called “Korean Hawaii”. And it’s true that Jeju Island in South Korea, with its clear waters and white-sand beaches, sometimes feels like a tropical paradise. Today Jeju is the top tourist destination for South Koreans. A volcanic island where a community of divers perpetuates a unique tradition.
That morning, at dawn, about fifty women who averaged 70 years of age got ready as they do almost every day. Today the dean is Madam Yang, 84 years old. She has been diving for over 60 years: “Yes, it’s hard, but I have to make money. “I will not ask my children for money.”
Women of the sea
They are called haenyeo, meaning “women of the sea.” Free divers catch abalone, sea urchins or sea cucumbers. Today’s program is four hours of work in the water harvesting oysters. Each Haenyeo woman dives freely 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 allowed women to earn a living while the men worked in the fields. In the 1950s, there were more than 30,000 haenyeo. Today only 2,000 to 3,000 remain.
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