Retirement Ceremony Held for 24 Jeju Haenyeo
with 70 Years of Diving Experience
Actress Moon Sori, who played the daughter of a haenyeo in a drama, attended the retirement ceremony of haenyeo who have spent their entire lives diving in the sea off Jeju.
The Jeju Haenyeo Culture Association announced on May 13 that it held the 7th Haenyeo Retirement Ceremony at the Gimnyeong Fisheries Culture Complex Center in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on May 12. This year, 24 haenyeo from the Gimnyeong fishing village retired, with an average diving career of 67 years. The oldest among them, Kim Ilsun (age 89) and Kim Jinhwa (age 87), have each worked as haenyeo for an impressive 70 years.
Moon Sori, who played the daughter of a haenyeo in the Netflix drama "Thank You for Your Hard Work," which is set in Jeju, was also invited to the retirement ceremony.
Moon Sori attended the event wearing the traditional haenyeo attire called "Mulsosungi," which the retiring haenyeo would have worn when they first started diving, adding special meaning to the occasion. She greeted the retiring haenyeo by saying "Poksak Sogat Suda" (Jeju dialect for "Thank you for your hard work") and took commemorative photos with each of them individually.
Yang Jonghun, director of the Jeju Haenyeo Culture Association, stated, "Jeju haenyeo are not simply workers, but national and social assets," adding, "We will continue to hold these retirement ceremonies not just as a form of support, but as a way to show respect, honor, and to pass on the tradition."
The Jeju Haenyeo Culture Association has been consistently organizing haenyeo retirement ceremonies since May of last year, starting with the first ceremony in Gwideok 2-ri, Hallim-eup, relying solely on voluntary donations and talent contributions without any subsidy support.
Meanwhile, Jeju haenyeo, who were inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2016, have drawn attention for their ability to dive into cold seawater without breathing equipment, whether they are pregnant women or elderly women in their 80s. For haenyeo, diving?known as "muljil"?is a traditional livelihood that must be performed year-round to make a living. Most begin training around the age of ten and continue diving for as long as their physical strength allows.
UNESCO explains, "On Jeju Island, there is a community of women, some in their 80s, who sustain their livelihoods by collecting seafood such as abalone and sea urchins from depths of up to 10 meters without oxygen masks." UNESCO adds, "These haenyeo harvest seafood for up to seven hours a day over 90 days a year, holding their breath for one minute on each dive."
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