‘Connecting 70 Years of Past and Present!’ … Jeju Haenyeo Visit to Dokdo

Jeju Haenyeo Who Dived for Seafood at Dokdo in the 1950s Visits Dokdo on Liberation Day

Haenyeo diver Kim Gongja and her pup sea lion (1950s).

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] Jeju haenyeo visited Dokdo on the 18th to commemorate the 77th anniversary of Liberation Day.

Gyeongbuk Province planned this event to examine the history of Jeju haenyeo pioneering Dokdo, who utilized the waters around Dokdo, and to collect and organize related information to use as materials to strengthen territorial sovereignty over Dokdo.

Among the haenyeo who visited Dokdo this time were four haenyeo, including Kim Gongja, who actually dived at Dokdo in the past, adding more significance to the visit.

During the Japanese colonial period, Jeju haenyeo expanded their activity areas to the mainland to avoid unjust exploitation by the Japanese, and the waters around 'Dokdo' were also a stage for Jeju haenyeo.

They actively engaged in fishing activities based on abundant resources such as seaweed, abalone, conch, and sea cucumber.

Initially, mainly haenyeo from the Hallim area of Jeju went diving at Dokdo, and the village hall of Hyeopjae-ri in Hallim-eup still has the 'Ulleungdo Fishing Women Memorial' built in 1956, which proves this.

After liberation, to counter Japan, which frequently sent patrol boats revealing its sinister intentions toward Dokdo, the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps recruited Jeju haenyeo to prepare their own security for defending Dokdo.

They used straw mats as temporary shelters at the Seodo Mulgol of Dokdo, where dozens of them lived for 2 to 3 months at a time, harvesting and drying seaweed.

Jeju haenyeo, who have sustained their livelihoods and befriended nature in the seas of Dokdo for many years, are living witnesses of our land Dokdo.

Group photo taken while departing from Dokdo waters.

The day before visiting Dokdo, Jeju haenyeo who came to Pohang to enter Ulleungdo met with Gyeongbuk haenyeo at the Guryongpo Fishing Village Office in Pohang, where they had a friendly talk and discussed ways to preserve and revitalize haenyeo culture together.

Then, at the welcome dinner event for the Jeju haenyeo visit held at Lahan Hotel, key figures including Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, Oh Young-hoon, Governor of Jeju Province, Park Yong-seon, Vice Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, Nam Han-kwon, Ulleung County Governor, and Gong Kyung-sik, Chairman of the Ulleung County Council, attended and warmly welcomed them.

At Lahan Hotel that day, a 'Memorandum of Understanding for Marine Humanities Exchange and Island Ecotourism Revitalization' was signed between Gyeongbuk Province and Jeju Province, with both provinces promising to promote future-oriented development and establish a cooperative system for continuous exchange to preserve marine ecological resources and ensure their sustainable use.

Kim Nam-il, Head of the East Sea Region Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "Although the origin of haenyeo is Jeju, Gyeongbuk has many haenyeo who have spontaneously emerged around Guryongpo and Homigot, giving them a unique identity different from Jeju," and added, "Let us work hard on research, transmission, and preservation of haenyeo culture through mutual exchange."

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "Let's start the Jeju haenyeo Dokdo invitation event as the first cooperative project between Gyeongbuk and Jeju and strengthen cooperation in various fields such as marine humanities, tourism, and blue carbon."

Oh Young-hoon, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, responded, "I express my gratitude to Governor Lee for inviting Jeju haenyeo on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of Liberation Day," and said, "I will invite Gyeongbuk haenyeo to the Jeju Haenyeo Festival in the third week of September."