Here, the myth of the mermaid takes most vibrant reality in South Korea with haenyeo divers from Jeju Island. These wonderful women have been free-diving without oxygen to collect seafood for centuries, showing not only excellent abilities at breath-holding but indomitable spirits as well. Still, this aging community and environmental factors will tell if this unique lifestyle will survive.
US-Korean filmmaker Sue Kim,
Teamed up with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, has set out to document the lives and customs of the haenyeo. Kim’s fascination originated when she was a child, traveling to South Korea, where she was captivated by their fearlessness and dynamism. “I fell in love with that whole vibe,” Kim remembers, drawing from the way they personified the Korean woman.
As the last generation of haenyeo divers ages, documentation of their life stories becomes more urgent. The film captures these women as they dive into the ocean at dawn, holding their breath for up to several minutes and rising to the surface only to plunge back down again – an astonishing 100 to 300 times in a single session. Afterwards, they spend hours shelling and preparing their catch, exemplifying physical endurance beyond belief.
This would make it so the haenyeo became the principal harvesters of the sea simply because the methods then practiced by men involved some perilous means whereby many men often perished. This shift allowed women to step into roles that empowered them within their communities.
It was challenging to gain access to the haenyeo for the documentary film; they live in tightly-knit, insular fishing villages. “I told them that I did not want the haenyeo to come on the screen as tragic heroes but as powerful workers,” she emphasizes, adding that “they love working! They think they’re strong and empowered by doing so.”.
Global warming has brought much stress, causing the reduction of marine life, thus making their means of livelihood uncertain. In addition to global warming, the release of radioactive water from Japan’s Fukushima plant into the ocean has created environmental degradation issues. Already, haenyeo protesters have made several trips to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the issue.
While their livelihood is taken from the sea, perhaps the greatest danger to the haenyeo lies within their family circle. A training school, established in the early 2000s, has only had a 5% success rate in producing new divers. Hope, however comes through the young women whom the film introduces into the community. Here are two who, as much as they like other work, have really embraced the profession. The best part of the job is its flexibility, supported by the older generation, with whom they can be reckoned as “their babies.”
Malala Yousafzai compares the camaraderie of the haenyeo to women everywhere, rising above their difficulties together. “I want young girls to believe in themselves and realize that they can do anything,” she says, reiterating the message of empowerment and resilience.
The story of haenyeo well continues to confront the several challenges that come with this demanding profession; however, the culture has been strong enough to hold women’s strength and preserve cultural heritage while many face complexities of modern life.