SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - About 100 "Haenyeo," or "sea ladies," will gather on Jeju Island for the 17th annual Haenyeo Day, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced Monday. The female divers will represent some 10,000 Haenyo in Korea to launch an association.
Haenyeo are female divers who harvest sea life like mollusks and seaweed from the ocean floor using only basic equipment: wetsuits, diving masks, fins, gloves, chest weights, weeding hoes, and a net attached to a buoy known as "taewak."
The event will take place from Sept. 20 to 22 at a hotel in Jeju City, bringing together Haenyeo from across Korea, including those from Busan, Gyeongsang Province, and Jeolla Province. A new Haenyeo association will be launched during the event to unite divers nationwide and work with the government on supportive initiatives.
Recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, Jeju's Haenyeo culture has seen a decline. The island had up to 23,000 Haenyeo in 1965, but numbers have dwindled over the years. Haenyeo can dive up to 30 meters (98 feet) deep and hold their breath for over three minutes without artificial breathing equipment, staying underwater for as long as six hours.
The taewak, originally made from pampas grass and a dried gourd, is now crafted from polystyrene foam and provides a float where divers can rest between dives. Despite financial support and other benefits, the Haenyeo tradition is gradually disappearing, with most divers aging and facing health and safety challenges.
