‘Haenyeos’ in Jeju (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
JEJU, Nov. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – A national association is set to be established next year to unite haenyeo – female divers who harvest seafood – from across the country, including those who have relocated from Jeju to engage in muljjil (diving into the ocean to harvest seafood) in other areas.
Jeju Island is gearing up for the launch of the “National Haenyeo Association” (tentative name) following the successful completion of the “Regional Roundtable Discussions for Establishing a Haenyeo Network on the Korean Peninsula,” which brought together haenyeo from diverse regions.
The initiative kicked off with a roundtable discussion in Busan in August, followed by a September gathering that included haenyeo from five different areas including North Gyeongsang Province, South Gyeongsang Province, and Ulsan.
In October, South Jeolla Province and South Chungcheong Province hosted the West Coast Haenyeo Discussion, with the Gangwon Province Haenyeo Roundtable taking place on October 13.
These events facilitated the exchange of various perspectives on practical preservation policies to support local haenyeo, as well as discussions on the creation and growth of a national haenyeo association.
Since the Japanese occupation of Korea, Jeju’s haenyeo have migrated to other regions, with some establishing new homes in those areas. Notably, during the Japanese occupation, Jeju’s haenyeo staged the Haenyeo Protest Movement in 1931, resisting Japanese dominance and advocating for their right to survive. The haenyeo union at the time was heavily influenced by Japanese politics, and deliberate reductions in seafood prices sparked strong protests among the haenyeo.
The Haenyeo Revolt on Jeju Island during the Japanese occupation is historically significant, representing an active resistance against Japan’s colonization policies. Led by socially marginalized women, particularly the lower-class haenyeo, the revolt stands out as a notable anti-Japanese movement.
The Jeju Haenyeo Protest, spanning from December 1931 to January 1932, drew participation from around 17,000 people, with approximately 230 rallies and demonstrations taking place.
Records from the 1960s and 1970s also document haenyeo activities on Dokdo, where they resided for extended periods.
Recognized as a UNESCO-designated Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Jeju haenyeo culture received further acclaim as the Jeju haenyeo fisheries system was recently listed as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
