On the volcanic shores of Jeju Island, South Korea's southernmost territory, elderly women in black wetsuits wade into the winter sea carrying nothing but simple tools and nets. These are the haenyeo—Korea's legendary female free-divers who harvest the ocean floor while holding their breath for up to two minutes at depths of 20 meters. Their numbers have dwindled from 30,000 to fewer than 4,000 in a single generation, placing one of Korea's remarkable cultural traditions on the edge of extinction.
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The morning air is bitingly cold as 78-year-old Kim Soon-ok adjusts her yellow taewak buoy and black rubber cap. Her hands, gnarled from decades in saltwater, move with practiced efficiency through equipment that has changed little since her grandmother's time.
"I began following my mother into the sea when I was 11," she explains, her face etched with lines that crinkle when she smiles. "Back then, every woman on Jeju was haenyeo. The men stayed home with the children—that was our way."
Jeju Island sits in the Korea Strait, an hour's flight from Seoul but culturally a world apart. This matrifocal society emerged from necessity—while men performed seasonal fishing expeditions far from shore, women developed the remarkable skill of harvesting the sea floor without oxygen equipment. For centuries, haenyeo free-divers were the island's economic backbone, gathering abalone, sea urchin, octopus, and seaweed that still commands premium prices in Korean and Japanese markets.
What makes the haenyeo tradition extraordinary is not just the physical feat—though diving to 20 meters while holding one's breath for up to two minutes is remarkable by any standard. It's the social structure that developed around this profession.
Haenyeo historically earned more than their husbands, controlled family finances, and made community decisions. They developed their own language, rituals, and hierarchical system based on diving skill rather than family background, creating an enclave of female economic power unique in a traditionally patriarchal society.
Haenyeo women divers of Jeju island performing their traditional song and dance before diving out. Photo by John Ko.
The haenyeo's diving technique relies entirely on breath control and knowledge accumulated through generations. Unlike scuba diving, which uses equipment to extend human capability, the haenyeo method works in harmony with the body's limits. These women can slow their heart rates and tolerate extreme cold through techniques passed from mother to daughter.
"Before wetsuits, we greased our bodies with animal fat," explains veteran diver Lee Jeong-ja. "We dived through winter in cotton clothes, even when the water was five degrees. Many women died from the cold."
UNESCO Recognised Intangible Cultural Heritage
Despite being recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, the tradition faces imminent extinction. Most active haenyeo are now in their 70s and 80s.
Their daughters and granddaughters have pursued education and careers in mainland Korea's booming economy. "My daughter is a professor in Seoul," says Kim with a mix of pride and resignation. "Why would she choose this difficult life? Her hands would be destroyed in a month."
Jeju Island's Haenyeo School
The Korean government has established a haenyeo school on Jeju to preserve the tradition, but results have been modest. Young women who enroll often discover that the daily reality—hours in frigid water, the constant risk of injury or death, and relatively modest income—doesn't match the romantic image portrayed in tourism materials.
As one instructor put it, "You cannot learn to be haenyeo in a classroom. The sea must enter your bones."
"The sea must enter your bones."
From left to right: Calm seas at Jeju Island; Early morning before the haenyeo divers set out.
For travelers to Jeju Island, the haenyeo can be observed at work around the coastline, particularly at Seongsan Ilchulbong and Jungmun Beach.
Several haenyeo showrooms allow visitors to watch demonstrations and taste freshly harvested seafood. These experiences, while designed for tourists, offer a glimpse into a vanishing way of life—one where women defied conventional gender roles and mastered one of the world's most demanding professions through sheer determination and collective knowledge.
As the sun reaches midday, Kim emerges from the water with her net full of sea urchins and abalone. She and her fellow divers gather around small fires on the beach, warming their aged bodies while sorting the day's catch. Their laughter rings out across the shore—a sound that, like the unique whistling breath they take before each dive, may soon fade into history.
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