▲ Photo by Able Team

[This article is written by a JDC Junior Journalist. The JDC Junior Journalist program is an educational project sponsored by Jeju Free International City Development Corporation (JDC). JDC Junior Journalist articles are only briefly edited by mentors before publishing.]

Jeju has many long and proud traditions. One of them is Haenyeos, women divers. The tradition has a quiet long history, but it is recently has become only a performance to be recorded for history. One of the event focuses on the time in 1953. During the middle of Korean war, Jeju became a very poor place and many Jeju citizens died due to malnutrition. The women began going into the deep sea to pick abalones to sell and to feed their families. This is one event in recorded history of the haenyeo that took place in the recent past.

On Nov.16, 2013, JDC Junior journalists visited ‘'Hanwha Aqua Planet'. The weather in the morning was colder than any typical windy day in autumn, it was more like a day of early winter. The haenyeo performance started with loud music in the main aqua-tank. Three of Jeju’s real haenyeos performed their traditional mulgil, demonstrating professional diving skills. They were actually selected through a hundred to one competition. During the performance, Lee Hang Yeong, the president of Jeju Haenyeo Preservation Association, explained to the audience about the content of mulgil. He said, "Haenyeos have no special skill like diving long time without breathing or holding still at high pressure sea level. While diving, they only to have a particular mind of saving their families. So, that they can hold their breath longer. Such skill really comes from their instinct of love of family." That's why they are called Jeju Eomeong, 'The Mother of Jeju'.

Their performance is quite unique and artistic. This tradition should continue to succeed and preserve the culture of Jeju.

Lee Han Young, the president of a haenyeo preservation organization, also discussed the current issues of the Haenyo. He said, "Nowadays, the Haenyeos' average ages are increasing every year". In addition, according to Meher Marker Noshirwani at IUCN, “The haenyeo population has decreased from 5,789 in 2000 to 2,500 in the last few decades, and this may be the last generation of women free divers”. Even the word Haenyeo can die out soon. So, it is very urgent to promote Haenyo and the culture of Jeju's Eomung, the mother of Jeju.