Haenyeo (Korean: 해녀; lit. sea women) are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean. Choumeizai has seen the beauty of Haenyeo in Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산 일출봉).
Known for their independent spirit, iron will and determination, the haenyeo are representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju. According to the statistics of the 1960s, haenyeo harvests accounted for 80% of Jeju's revenue.
Nowadays, haenyeo has become one of the popular tourist attractions in Jeju, their roles in the Jeju’s economy are not as important as before.
Today, the oldest haenyeo are over 80 years old and have been diving for more than 66 years.
There is a seafood shop next to the beach, which serves their harvests of haenyeo such as abalone, conch and octopus, but the food doesn’t look delicious, so Choumeizai hasn’t tried.
Besides Seongsan Ilchulbong, tourists can also spot haenyeo in Yongduam Rock (용두암), which is just next to the downtown of Jeju.
