100 Times a Day, 'Badang Became Money'... Geumnung-ri Haenyeo Who Lived a Harder Life Than Cows [Digging Travel]

'UNESCO-Listed' Jeju Haenyeo Stories
The Hard Life of Geumneung-ri Haenyeo: 'Out-of-Town Muljil'
Disappearing Haenyeo... Only 2,839 Remain in 2023
The Lives and Traditions of Haenyeo: A History That Must Be Recorded

If Western mermaids are fantastical and mysterious beings of the sea, the Eastern haenyeo are resilient figures who have coexisted with the ocean and carved out their lives in reality. While Western mermaids remain princesses in legends and myths, Eastern haenyeo have ventured deep into the sea, writing a history of survival and livelihood. In other words, while the West dreamed and imagined the sea, the East learned to live by diving directly into it.

Jeju haenyeo who have finished their work.
[Photo by Jeju Province]

Thus, mermaids were mysterious princesses of distant seas, whereas haenyeo were mothers, daughters, and grandmothers who silently supported their families nearby. The life of haenyeo was always grounded in reality, and the sea was their means of survival. They were not mythical protagonists but our everyday heroes who fought fierce currents to protect their families?real stories of real lives.

Meeting a Baby Haenyeo and '2839' at Geumneung Beach

Under the warm sunlight, with a still chilly wind blowing sharply, we visited Geumneung Beach in Jeju. We met Hong Jun-hee (65), the head of the fishing village cooperative, and Choi Ji-eun (36), the youngest haenyeo, and made small tewak (a buoyancy device haenyeo hold to their chest while swimming) keyrings while listening to stories about the haenyeo’s 'badang muljil' (sea diving work). Choi is affectionately called the 'baby haenyeo' in the village. In the past, beginner haenyeo were called 'ttonggun,' but nowadays, the more endearing term 'baby haenyeo' is used instead.

The image shows a Jeju haenyeo posing by the sea. ⓒ Yang Jong-hoon [Photo provided by Jeju Haenyeo Culture Association]

Even among haenyeo who all look similar when wearing diving suits, there is a strict hierarchy. They are divided into sanggun (senior), junggun (middle), and hagun (junior), and depending on the region, there is the highest rank called daesanggun or the lowest rank called ttonggun for those just starting to learn muljil. This hierarchy cannot be overcome by effort alone; innate abilities such as lung capacity are essential to advance from junggun to sanggun.

At the Geumneung-ri fishing cooperative, this hierarchy is respected while the tradition of haenyeo is passed down through generations. According to 2023 Jeju statistics, there are 2,839 haenyeo in Jeju. In 1970, there were as many as 14,143, but in 2023, 90.3% (2,565) of active haenyeo are aged 60 or older. Those in their 50s make up 6.1% (175), 40s 2.3% (66), 30s 0.9% (27), and 20s only 0.2% (6). This raises concerns about the sustainability of haenyeo culture.

A Hard Life with the Sea, Sustained by Out-of-Town Muljil

"I still have the first diving suit I wore. Back then, I didn’t know how to wear rubber suits, so my senior sister Jeong-ja helped me put on my rubber suit. At that time, to wear the rubber suit more easily, we wore a water suit underneath. Although it’s too worn out to wear now, I can’t bring myself to throw it away, so I keep it."

Hong Jun-hee’s words reflect memories and affection for the haenyeo life. According to materials from the Geumneung-ri haenyeo experience lecture held that day, 81-year-old haenyeo Hong Jun-ja started muljil at age 13 and began out-of-town muljil (diving work in seas outside their hometown) at 17, marking her full entry into the haenyeo path. Similarly, 74-year-old haenyeo Yang Ok-yeol began her haenyeo life around the same time.

"It helped a lot with daily life. We only harvested barley or millet enough for home consumption from the fields; we didn’t sell them. Back then, all the money came from sea harvests. We lived by catching conch, seaweed, and so on."

Recent still cut from the Netflix drama "Poksak Soksassuda," which has recently become a hot topic. Jeon Gwang-rye (played by Yeom Hye-ran), who appears as a haenyeo in the drama, is portrayed as a tough woman who has endured life by financially supporting her parents who left only debts, her first husband whom she cared for during illness, and her idle new husband. Despite her hard life, she is deeply affectionate toward her daughter Aesun, who is the only one who cares for her, which makes her even more devoted to providing financially. [Photo by Netflix]

Hong Jun-ja recalled that the sea was the family’s livelihood. Especially, children usually started diving around 12 or 13 years old, and their income was used for younger siblings’ education or marriage expenses. This highlights how tough the haenyeo’s life was at the time.

Muljil was the very life of Jeju haenyeo, but income from Jeju’s sea alone was insufficient. Therefore, many haenyeo ventured out for 'out-of-town muljil.'

"To save money to buy rice when going to the mainland, we packed barley rice we grew ourselves into sacks and took a small boat all the way to Guryongpo, Pohang. From there, we moved to our respective diving sites and lived there."

As in Hong Jun-ja’s story of leaving for Pohang in the past, out-of-town muljil meant more than just working in another region. Despite unfamiliar seas and disdain from locals, Jeju haenyeo steadfastly continued diving for their families.

"When we went out for muljil, locals would say, 'You must be so poor to come all the way here to dive,' and we faced a lot of discrimination."

Haenyeo Kim Eun-seon’s recollections of hardships faced away from home still resonate deeply. Yet, without time to shed tears, they traveled across the country?Guryongpo, Yeosu, Boseong, Wando, Chungcheong-do?continuing their muljil. Hong Jun-ja’s story of doing out-of-town muljil from age 17 to 40 shows the toughness of haenyeo in those days.

Still cut from the documentary film 'Mulggo-ui Jeonseol'.
Photo by Yeongsasa Jinjin

Courage Beyond Danger and Fear, the Sound of Sumbi

Due to the nature of their work, haenyeo spend up to seven hours in the sea, facing extreme occupational hazards such as decompression sickness, tinnitus, and hypothermia. Taking 'noeseon' (medicine) became the fate of Jeju haenyeo. It is no wonder that the breath haenyeo exhale upon surfacing?the 'sumbi sound'?is described as the boundary between life and death. There is even a Jeju proverb saying, "Born a woman because you were not born a sow," reflecting the harshness of haenyeo’s diving labor.

The sumbi sound is the 'hoo-ee hoo-ee' sound haenyeo make when exhaling the breath they held underwater as they surface. To some, it may sound as beautiful as dolphins or birds crying, but in reality, it is a cry for life. After diving in rough seas and surfacing, haenyeo sometimes find it hard even to breathe; the sumbi sound is the desperate exhale at such moments. It is a beautiful yet sorrowful sound tied to their lives, symbolizing a mother’s devoted love who endures hardship for her family.

"If you have fear, it’s hard to dive. I think mindset is important. You have to naturally entrust your body to the currents and become one with the sea."

As Hong said, they know the dangers of the sea but have learned how to overcome them. Haenyeo typically spend 1 to 2 minutes underwater collecting conch, abalone, and seaweed. Some senior haenyeo dive about 3 minutes down to 20 meters. However, given that haenyeo dive dozens to over a hundred times a day for about seven hours, holding their breath to the limit is meaningless.

A scene from a CF video that gained attention in 2011 for the 'diving contest' between Beijing Olympic gold medalist Park Tae-hwan and a Jeju haenyeo grandmother.
Photo by youtube

In 2011, a video produced by a clothing brand went viral showing a breath-holding contest between Beijing Olympic gold medalist Park Tae-hwan and a Jeju haenyeo grandmother. The two entered the water side by side, sitting on the pool floor with legs stretched out, exchanging playful glances and joking, "Stop now, you go up first." After about three minutes, Park could no longer hold his breath and surfaced, and the haenyeo grandmother won. Even after winning, she leisurely made a 'V' sign underwater.

This playful contest showcased the haenyeo’s remarkable ability and revealed how extreme their living environment is. The difference between 'life,' which must be sustained, and a 'contest,' where everything is given at once, lies here.

Haenyeo Now Choose Their Own Path

Currently, 69 haenyeo are active in the Geumneung fishing cooperative. The oldest is 84-year-old Yang Seon-ja, and the youngest is 37-year-old Choi Ji-eun. Generations from their 30s to 80s continue the haenyeo culture together.

Unlike in the past, younger haenyeo have become haenyeo by their own choice. Born in seaside villages, they naturally grew up playing in the sea and were attracted to haenyeo culture, choosing to become haenyeo themselves.

"When I was born, my mother was already diving. Living in a seaside village, the sea was my playground from childhood. Naturally, I started diving too. There was no one forcing me or intervening. I think it was a very natural or inevitable process."

A group photo of haenyeo belonging to the Geumnong-ri fishing village cooperative in Jeju, included in "Faces of Jeju Haenyeo," published in 2017 by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Studies Research Center. The photo captures 61 haenyeo who were active at the time.
[Photo by Jeju Studies Research Center]

Haenyeo Son Hwa-jin’s confession shows the selective succession of modern haenyeo. No longer compelled by economic necessity, haenyeo culture now continues through cultural value and pride.

For the sustainability of haenyeo culture, it is important to pass down the knowledge and experience of senior haenyeo to future generations. Knowledge about the 'yeo' (underwater mounds) is at risk of disappearing with retired haenyeo. Currently, the Geumneung Haenyeo Association and Geumneung Dream Charong Small Library are creating underwater maps to preserve this precious knowledge.

"Most 'yeo' names seem to be based on shape, features, or location. There are names like 'Sanbangnan Yeo,' 'Nangkkaeneun Yeo,' and 'Mundon Yeo.' Some places are named after specific haenyeo who frequently visit or work there, like 'Park Jeong-hwa Yeo.'"

As explained by Hong, detailed knowledge of underwater terrain is an important part of haenyeo culture. Efforts to record and preserve this knowledge before it disappears are also necessary.

Haenyeo culture is also transmitted through folk songs. The hardships of their work are reflected in the folk songs sung by Jeju haenyeo. These songs are considered a treasure trove of Jeju dialect. In the past, they were work songs sung while rowing sailboats to and from diving sites. The 1939 collection 'Joseon Minyo Seon' by Im Hwa includes the following haenyeo song:

Haenyeo Song

Searching for a bachelor in the water
Packing seaweed on Yangseok Island
Applying seaweed paste in Myeongju Sea

The boat floating in the front river is Naksojang’s boat
The boat floating in the back river is Nimsil’s boat
If tears fall, they become Han River water
If sighs are breathed, they become southeast wind
When singing, they hold the oar

Oh woman, oh woman, the good abalone is at Tteung
The good seaweed is at Nongdaek
The good shellfish is at Jakjiwat
Slowly, slowly, I go there
Gathering mussels and clams
Tasting them
The thousand-year soy sauce melts softly

This folk song contains the haenyeo’s life, love for the sea, and the hardships they endure. It is not superstition but the haenyeo’s belief and part of their life.

Today’s haenyeo live with a different pride than before. With UNESCO intangible cultural heritage designation and renewed recognition of haenyeo culture’s value, haenyeo feel pride as inheritors of cultural heritage rather than mere livelihood workers.

"Haenyeo culture has been designated as a UNESCO cultural heritage, and I feel proud to be part of it."

Modern haenyeo find meaning as cultural bearers and tradition successors. Nevertheless, practical challenges such as declining seafood, aging population, and market access issues still threaten the sustainability of haenyeo culture.

The lives and stories of Jeju haenyeo are not merely about labor but represent a vivid history and a living cultural heritage filled with the strong survival skills and wisdom of women. Moreover, the lives of Jeju haenyeo themselves provide profound literary inspiration, serving as a rich source of creativity for many writers. The nature and stories of the people of Jeju become literature in their own right. The event "The City of Artistic Elegance Never Sleeps ? Featuring the History and Culture of Seogwipo in National Literary Magazines," held in Seogwipo, Jeju, from the 6th to the 8th, was an occasion to reaffirm the cultural value of Jeju.

Haenyeo Stories Continued Through Literature

If Western mermaids are fantasy, Jeju haenyeo are reality. The stories of Jeju haenyeo are not mere folklore or tourist attractions but living cultural heritage embodying survival, coexistence, and women’s resilience and wisdom. These lives and stories inspire many writers’ pens.

The event 'The City of Artistic Tradition Never Sleeps?Featuring Seogwipo’s History and Culture in National Literary Journals,' held from the 6th to 8th in Seogwipo, Jeju, reaffirmed Jeju’s cultural value.

Hosted by the Seogwipo Writers’ Association, the event included members from the Korean Poets’ Association, Essay Literature Writers’ Association, Korean Writers’ Association, and writers from literary associations nationwide, including Yeosu, Daejeon, Jeonju, and Muju. Supported by the Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC), participants experienced Jeju’s scenery, history, and haenyeo culture firsthand to gain creative inspiration. They plan to share Jeju’s stories nationwide through their literary journals. A second program is scheduled for April.

Jung Young-ja, president of the Seogwipo Writers’ Association, said, "Many artists have stayed here, and some writers continue their creative passion in Seogwipo. Facing Jeju’s nature, oreums (volcanic cones), haenyeo culture, and Seogwipo’s historical sites directly, they can gain new creative inspiration."