Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO Voice of the Haenyeo : Gwideok Village 54 12 Introduction IUCN World Conservation Congress 56 BPW International Congress 57 14 I

Book Ⅱ

Book Ⅱ Book Ⅱ

해녀책자2-표지-최종.indd 1 2015. 5. 12. 오후 2:26 Dedication

to the brave Jeju Island women divers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo Table of Contents

06 Foreword by Professor Byung-Gul Lee, II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 50 Director of Jeju Sea Grant Center, Jeju National University 07 Acknowledgments Foreign Media and Artistic Representation 52 08 Preface : Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO Voice of the Haenyeo : Gwideok Village 54 12 Introduction IUCN World Conservation Congress 56 BPW International Congress 57 14 I. Haenyeo Culture Voice of the Haenyeo : Woljeong Village 58 Presentation in Other Countries 60 16 Bulteok / Fire Pit Voice of the Haenyeo : Sagye Village 62 18 Voice of the Haenyeo : Jongdal Vi l lage Box Inset: Haenyeo as Native Marine Biologists 64 20 Shamanist Religion 28 Foods II. Social Implications 66 30 Songs 32 Voice of the Haenyeo : Jongdal Village Conclusion 68 34 Myths and Stories Afterword: Jeju Haenyeo: Stewards of the Sea, Book I 70 36 Significant Myths for Haenyeo Appendix 72 42 Voice of the Haenyeo : Gimnyeong Village About the Author 74 44 Trauma and Healing About the Photographers 75 49 Box Inset : Haenyeo as Freedom Fighters Foreword Acknowledgments

With the publication of Book II for Haenyeo cul- vider when her husband did not return from sea. Once again, with this second book on Jeju haenyeo and fishing collective chief Kyung-ja Hong of ture, I really appreciate Dr. Anne Hilty for her great Haenyeo took their role without any complaints nyeo I would like to express my gratitude. Hansu Village; Shaman Sun-sil Suh of Gimnyeong work. As a writer of these Haenyeo books (Books I & and never gave up their destiny when faced with Both this book and its predecessor were commis- Jamsu-gut and Jeju Keun-gut Preservation So- II), she has laid the foundation for introducing Hae- hardship. Overcoming adversities of life became a sioned by Jeju Sea Grant Center, under the director- ciety; Shamans Yoon-su Kim and Yong-ok Lee nyeo culture to the world. Other books on Haenyeo spiritual milestone for them and this spirit became ship of Professor Byung-gul Lee and affiliated with of Chilmeoridang Yeongdeung-gut Preservation culture have been published in the past, but I think deeply rooted in Haenyeo culture as time passed. Jeju National University. Jeju Provincial Govern- Society; Soonie Kim, mythologist and former chief these are the first books that describe the compre- Haenyeo culture has always been the dominant cul- ment, Jeju Haenyeo Museum, Jeju Haenyeo Sum- of Korea Cultural Heritage Administration, Jeju hensive Haenyeo culture in such thorough detail. tural feature of Jeju, and we all are responsible for mer School, Jeju Haenyeo Festival, and especially branch; Rimhwa Han, Jeju author and researcher. Therefore, I am more than happy to help publish retaining this precious Haenyeo culture in order to The Jeju Weekly under Publisher Junghee Song, I want to especially acknowledge photojournalist these books with Dr. Hilty. I also want to thank maintain the island’s cultural identity and continu- have all contributed greatly. Brenda Paik Sunoo (US), author of “Moon Tides: the publisher of Jeju Weekly, Junghee Song, who ity. Haenyeo produced numerous traditions and My thanks once more to Dr. Chul-in Yoo, anthro- Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea” (2011), for allowing designed and edited the manuscripts and selected legacies, and we have included them in these books. pology professor of Jeju National University; Dr. her beautiful work to be represented in this book. amazing photos of working Haenyeo and beautiful Tangible heritage, including the professional aspects Hyegyoung Choa, senior researcher of Jeju Devel- Also to be thanked is documentary photogra- scenery. In these books, Jeju Haenyeo culture is and history, are written in Book I, while intangible opment Institute and formerly of Jeju Haenyeo Mu- pher Seung-eun Lee (ROK), author of “Sumbisori” well-described to help people understand the core heritage, such as songs, myths and tales as well as seum; Dr. Youngsook Han, interpreter/translator (2007). spirit of this unique women’s culture. Haenyeo cul- the living environment of Jeju, are written in Book and English instructor of Jeju National University; Above all: I owe a profound and everlasting love ture first developed in the island’s Tamna Kingdom II. I am certain that these will be essential books Senator Sunhwa Lee of Jeju Provincial Council; and gratitude to the haenyeo of Jeju Island them- era 600 years ago, along the coastal communities. to help preserve a viable, sustainable Jeju ocean Jeyon Kim, International Relations Coordinator of selves, a shining example to us all. According to cultural experts, Haenyeo culture is culture. As I conclude, I want to express once again Jeju Provincial Government; Dr. Sunyoung Hong, May they and their haenyeo ancestors live forever totally distinct from other women’s free-diving cul- my deep gratitude for Dr. Hilty and all contributors. cultural expert of Jeju Tourism Organization; hae- in our hearts. tures as Jeju haenyeo did their work for the survival Thank you. of their family. In the past, the whole family had to Professor Byung-Gul Lee, rely on Haenyeo, as she often became the sole pro- Director of Jeju Sea Grant Center

Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo

06 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Foreward, Acknowledgments 07 Preface : Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO

with a 5-year plan toward UNESCO designation. tional support of Jeju’s endeavor. On December Senator Lee, who organized two forums that same 20, Jeju government formally committed to a 2014 year on the topic of haenyeo preservation and prioritization of this effort, signing a relevant MOU UNESCO recognition, has become a primary cham- just four days later with the Korean National Com- pion of this cause. From a long line of haenyeo, she mission for UNESCO. According to the UNESCO- views her efforts in relation to women’s empower- established timetable, Korea’s Cultural Heritage ment and the elevation of haenyeo from a once- Administration (CHA), with the support of the lowly position in Jeju society to one of great respect Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the and international renown. Pacific (ICHCAP), applied by March of 2014 toward Jeju then hosted the World Conservation Con- a 2015 inscription. gress (WCC) of the International Union for the Con- The annual cycle of UNESCO inscription includes servation of Nature (IUCN) in September of 2012, several stages over a 15-month period, for which a at which a session on Jeju haenyeo was presented nation may only submit 1 application in a category. and a motion for the preservation of Jeju haenyeo UNESCO will review a maximum of 50 applica- was elected as a resolution. That same year, Jeju tions in a cycle. In 2014, however, there were 61 haenyeo received ‘intangible cultural heritage’ status applicant nations, causing UNESCO to rank them at the national level. according to previously received inscriptions. This Jeju government announced in late 2013 that eliminated China (topping out with 37 inscriptions), "We go to the Underworld...to Save our Kids." Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo. it would formally seek UNESCO designation for Japan (second, with 22) and Korea (at third with the cultural practices of Jeju haenyeo (free-diving 16); those 50 countries accepted for review all have NOTE: The primary purpose for these two were ‘Anti-Japanese Resistance, Cultural Heritage, women). The timetable for the UNESCO application 7 or fewer. Korea also has 26 pending applications, books, support of the bid for UNESCO inscription Ocean Civilization’ (2006), ‘Sustainable Develop- was accelerated in large part due to an unofficial dating back to 2010. (Inscription of intangible cul- of Jeju haenyeo culture as Intangible Cultural Her- ment; Safeguarding of Work and Heritage’ (2007), competition between Korea and Japan, which also tural heritage began in 2008, and the limit of one itage of Humanity, was comprehensively described ‘Haenyeo and Ama [divers in Japan]: Intangible seeks such recognition for its ‘ama’ diving women. per year was only recently imposed.) The haenyeo in Book I. Due to its deep signficance, however, for Cultural Heritage’ (2008), ‘UNESCO Representa- Japan has organized an assembly of 8 prefectures application, therefore, is on hold at the time of this the preservation of this unique and nearly extinct tive List; Safeguarding Measures’ (2009) and ‘Issues, with active ‘ama’ communities, notably those of Mie writing, eligible for consideration once again in the set of cultural practices, the original description is Prospects of Cultural Transmission’ (2010). The and Ishikawa with which Jeju haenyeo maintain following year. Application to UNESCO’s ‘Urgent reprinted here in its entirety. 2009 symposium saw the participation of Professor cultural exchange; while they offered to apply jointly Safeguarding List’, for what the organization deems William Logan of Deakin University (AU), Interna- for both Korean and Japanese divers, Korea deter- ‘emergency situations (culture)’, is in consideration Jeju Province was designated as a Special Self- tional Expert for UNESCO since 1986, who spoke mined to file separately. Jeju generally maintains by Jeju officials; according to UNESCO, however, Governing Province on July 1, 2006, the first and eloquently on the value of Jeju haenyeo. a belief that Japanese ‘ama’ represent migratory or this category is reserved for heritage in ‘imminent as yet only such in the Korean Republic. That same In 2011, Jeju government formed a committee for ‘chulga’ haenyeo, who are also known to have mi- danger of extinction’. year, the first forum for the UNESCO designa- the preservation of haenyeo culture, headed by the grated to mainland Korea, China, parts of Southeast In addition to Jeju’s UNESCO recognitions of tion of Jeju haenyeo was held, organized by Jeju vice governor of economy and environment with Asia, and Vladivostok, Russia. natural science, in the categories of Biosphere National University. Annual academic symposia Senator Lee Sunhwa of Jeju Provincial Council as In November 2013, Korean National Assembly (2002), World Natural Heritage (2007), and Global were held from 2006 to 2010, the themes of which assistant chief. At its formation, they were charged member Gil Jungwoo called a public hearing for na- Geoparks (2010), the island received intangible cul-

08 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Preface 09 Preface : Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO

tural heritage designation (2009) for the Chilmeori- as low-level, uneducated manual laborers who dang Yeongdeung-gut, a shamanist ritual to a local bared their bodies indiscreetly in order to go about sea and wind goddess who protects both divers and their work.

fishers. Parties involved in the application process Of greatest concern is the preservation of haenyeo Of greatest concern is the preservation of haenyeo culture, initially considered seeking status for the compre- culture, which has been in serious decline since the which has been in serious decline since the 1970s due to the hensive haenyeo culture, ultimately deciding to be- 1970s due to the advent of tourism as an economic advent of tourism as an economic driver coupled with greater gin more simply with the corresponding ritual. driver coupled with greater educational and profes- educational and professional opportunities for women. UNESCO, which does not often approve entire sional opportunities for women. Without renewed cultural practices, requires that the practice be (1) intergenerational transmission, the diving practice simultaneously traditional, contemporary and liv- with its unique cultural features is certain to become ing; (2) inclusive (intergenerational transmission, extinct. Such recognition, however, by bringing evolved in response to environment, contributes to greater esteem to the practice, may in fact attract a a sense of identity and continuity, and also to social younger generation to the profession. It would also cohesion); (3) representative; and, (4) community- result in more tangible benefit such as additional based. They must integrate such elements as skills, funding for the support of the haenyeo community, knowledge, cultural spaces, instruments and cos- to be used for safeguarding and other measures. tumes, songs, and rituals. Examples of prior cul- UNESCO itself cites other benefits including in- tural designations include compagnonnage (style creased visibility of cultural diversity, resource man- of apprenticeship in France), sankemon (collective agement, education, and revitalization. fishing rite in Mali), suiti (cultural space in Latvia), Terms such as ‘eco-feminism’, ‘deep ecology’, and daemokjang (architectural style and woodworking ‘Asian Amazons’ have been variously applied to profession of Korea), and falconry (11 countries, in- Jeju haenyeo. At the 2012 WCC, renowned ocean- cluding Korea). ographer Dr. Sylvia Earle identified the haenyeo as One question looms large: What would such des- ‘indigenous marine biologists’, and ‘marine stew- ignation mean to Jeju haenyeo themselves? And, ards’ has also been suggested. The organizational are they being involved in this process? structure of divers and fishers, known locally as ‘eo- A recent cultural event organized by Senator Lee chongye’, has been considered a viable model of col- celebrated Jeju haenyeo in light of UNESCO rec- lective economics. Haenyeo practices have also been ognition. One chief of her fishing and diving coop- deemed ‘indigenous social enterprise’. All of these erative, Hong Kyung-ja of Hansu Village, has long identifications are worthy of additional exploration. been involved in this cause. Other haenyeo have Above all: the most viable and sustainable form of expressed their strong desire for such international cultural preservation is that which renders tradi- recognition. One cannot help but see the psycholog- tional practice relevant to the modern era. UNESCO Preparing to go to sea. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee. ical benefits to women who, while long the driving status may well contribute to this quest. force of Jeju economy, were nevertheless perceived

10 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Preface 11 Introduction

“Once met, never forgotten”

Shamans, goddesses, a dragon god of the sea, mystical islands of afterlife, labor songs of longing, indigenous women’s cultural space, foods that tell stories, and a dialect unintelligible to the mainlanders — these are the ingredients of the rich and pictur- esque milieu in which the diving women of Jeju find themselves. A living tradition even today, their lifestyle is all too soon destined to drift into the mists of time. As described in Book I, the professional practice of Jeju Island’s free-diving women, in terms of both their history and remarkable skills, is unique in all the world. While Japan’s ‘ama’ or the ‘sama- bajau’ of various Southeast Asian countries also free-dive for marine products, it is the cultural features of Jeju haenyeo which render them distinct. This is social cohesion at its finest: common purpose found in shared labor and collective economics, direct democracy by consensus, mutual aid and social inclusion, social enterprise through community engagement, animistic spiritual traditions that bind them to their land and sea, matrifocal mythology rich in strong goddess imagery, women’s cultural space in which to share work and daily life, and an insider language. These are the bonds that do not break — except, perhaps, in the face of mass trauma. For the island has also had its share of great tragedy. Come, and meet these remarkable women. Once met, never forgotten.

A moment’s rest. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

12 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Introduction 13 I. Haenyeo Culture

The haenyeo culture surrounding this profession is very rich indeed, with a backdrop of shamanist rites and goddess mythology, labor songs, costume, community practices, oral transmission and organic democracy around a seaside firepit, cuisine the essence of its marine origins, and a unique dialect. Shamanist beliefs bring comfort and courage; stories of strong women and goddesses provide archetypes of empowerment. The firepit meetingplace served practical purposes and enhanced social cohesion; songs which once provided encouragement and emotional release are now a source of insight into culture, practices, and psyche. Far beyond the profession itself, the haenyeo community represents a complex set of cultural practices worthy of preservation.

·Bulteok / Fire Pit ·Shamanist Religion Voice of the Haenyeo ·Foods ·Jongdal Vi l lage ·Songs ·Jongdal Village ·Myths and Stories ·Gimnyeong Village

·Significant Myths for Haenyeo Box Inset ·Trauma and Healing ·Haenyeo as Freedom Fighters

Historical diving costume. Photo by Jeong Pyo Hong, Jeju National University Museum.

14 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 15 Bulteok / Fire Pit

and most protected from the cold bonded as tightly as any, even in conflict. And winds. here it was as well that if they were experiencing In addition to the conducting of financial difficulty, needed help farming their business and decision-making, the field, or didn’t know how to handle an illness, bulteok environment also provided that the members of their group would be quick an informal and indirect education to provide — for their own time of need could be of the skillset. next, the definition of mutual aid. Haenyeo had no formal method Typically, coastal villages had not only a bul- of learning their craft; rather, they teok near the sea but at least one ‘haesin-dang’ began playing at the seashore as or sea god shrine, a small place of worship cre- young girls, diving for fun and ated either in a natural setting of rock the shape general practice by the time they of which was conducive to same, or by making were in pre-pubescence and more a small circular stone wall similar to that of the earnestly in adolescence, and bulteok itself but without a firepit — and with an learning by direct observation as altar. Democratic process in the bulteok. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee well as trial-and-error. It was in the These seaside shrines were more for individual bulteok conversations, however, as prayer and private ritual rather than public rites, The women divers have always maintained While this community is egalitarian in many much as in the sea itself, that the a small and intimate setting where devotee could their own system of governance, with profit- ways, nevertheless they are ranked according to young haenyeo learned her craft: by listening to meet her gods. The shrine and bulteok together sharing and a democratic system of decision- skill in 3 classes: sang-gun or highest level, ha- experienced haenyeo chat about their day’s work, formed the heart of the haenyeo community. making by consensus. The bulteok, a small area gun or lowest (also for elderly divers and those where they found abundant catch, harvesting Today, the bulteok has been replaced by mod- (open-air ‘room’) at the coast with a central fire just learning the skill), and jung-gun or mid-level methods, or the troubles they encountered and ern facilities. Meetings are held in conference pit and surrounded by a low stone wall, served in which most are identified. In their decision- overcame. rooms and, although they still dive collectively, as the focal point of the women’s work and com- making process of business, consensus may be The bulteok environment could also be viewed members otherwise come and go separately munity. Here, they changed their clothes after the aim, but if it cannot be reached then the lead- as group therapy. Here the divers shared their — by car or motorbike, cellphone in hand. The diving, warming themselves by the fire; here, they ership — officers and sang-gun — ultimately -de fears, discussed their problems at home, talked women’s cultural space represented by the bul- determined their business practices; here, they cide. Seating arrangement in the bulteok was also about how to improve their community. Here teok is no more, symbolizing the phenomenal discussed their lives and strengthened their com- according to this hierarchy; sang-gun were seated they knew they were surrounded by their sister- shift in this form of women’s labor overall. munal bond. in the top position — the area closest to the fire hood, immersed in a socially cohesive group —

16 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 17 Voice of the Haenyeo Jongdal Village

Sun-deok Woo (b.1957)

These days, I am careful not to be too greedy because there are fewer sea products than five years ago. Before, we could still catch a lot.

I went diving on the mainland when I was 16. Before that, I just went to the sea. Both my mother and grandmother were haenyeo, but I lived with my grandmother because there were seven children in our family. My younger brother died in the sea. We never recovered his body. The most dangerous experience I had was when a whale was swimming underneath me. Fortunately, I've never encountered a shark. I used to be able to remain underwater for three minutes. Now I can stay there for about one minute. These days, I am careful not to be too greedy because there are fewer sea products than five years ago. Before, we could still catch a lot. I could even send my children to school based on that amount. But now we only collect the things that reach the shore by waves and wind.

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo

Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

18 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 19 Shamanist Religion

Shamanism remains a mystery to most non- In the 1970s, under the Park Chung-hee adminis-

Asian peoples. Although animism, or looking to the tration with its New Villages Movement (Saemaeul Historically, shamanism on Jeju was at the core of each community. natural world for the supernatural, is at the heart of Undong) for economic reconstruction, despite the In its village-based shamanistic system, all conflict within a village all indigenous belief systems, and elements of the fact that nationalism was at an all-time high, sha- was expected to be resolved prior to communal rituals in order to help shamanistic tradition out of central Siberia can be manism along with other traditional customs was ensure the gods’ benevolence and village prosperity. found throughout the world, Korea is one of few de- declared the enemy of modernity. veloped nations to maintain active practice. Shamans were required in formal proceedings On Jeju, as with all else in this former sovereignty, to give their tools to the government and renounce shamanism has taken its own form. The island’s their beliefs. Practices continued in secret, though, diving women, facing their mortality daily and de- at the threat of legal sanctions. pending upon the beneficence of nature for their Today, shamanist public rites and shamans livelihood, remain its most devoted adherents. themselves are often recognized at provincial and Historically, shamanism on Jeju was at the core national levels as “Intangible Cultural Heritage,” of each community. In its village-based shamanistic and some, such as Jeju’s Chilmeori Shrine Ritual system, all conflict within a village was expected to to Yeongdeung, Goddess of Sea and Wind, are be resolved prior to communal rituals in order to UNESCO-designated as cultural heritage of global help ensure the gods’ benevolence and village pros- significance. perity. Its traditionally egalitarian societies were One of the features that renders Jeju shamanism based upon mutual aid; its matrifocal structure in- unique is the familial, almost casual attitude of cluded powerful female deities, and diving women devotees toward their gods. Most deities in the as the primary economic force. extensive pantheon of this “Island of 18,000 Gods” The practice of shamanism suffered a good deal were either once human, elevated to deity after during the Joseon dynasty which saw it as contra- death, or are otherwise perceived as ancestors dictory to the favored Confucian social order. As the and as members of the village in which a shrine Joseon era gave way to Japanese colonization and is located and rituals are based. One exception is the demise of the Korean monarchy, all folkloric, Goddess Yeongdeung. linguistic and other traditions deemed to contribute to nationalism were forbidden.

Offerings at the Hado shrine. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo.

20 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 21 Shamanist Religion

Yeongdeung-gut As Yeongdeung Halmang is a briefly visiting Yeongdeung Halmang, goddess of wind and sea, though highly esteemed deity, it is imperative that visits the island for only 2 weeks each year, and dur- the villagers’ connection with her be renewed. ing this time haenyeo and others placate her with In the final act of the ritual, a group of men ap- rituals and offerings. On the day of her departure, pear in dark clothing and white paper masks. They 2.14 (2nd month, 14th day of lunar calendar), vil- represent ‘yeonggam’, the meaning of which can lages throughout Jeju hold a rite of farewell. refer both to capricious spirits (to be appeased) The Yeongdeung farewell ritual held each year and also to Seonwang, the “boat king” who protects at Chilmeori Shrine, located on Sarabong seaside fishermen and brings them bounty. Ultimately, hae- volcanic hill in the Gonip neighborhood of Jeju City, nyeo launch small straw boats into the sea as a part- was inscripted by UNESCO in 2009 as Intangible ing gift to Yeongdeung Halmang – and she departs Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Grand Shaman once more. Yoon Su Kim presides, accompanied by his wife, Shaman Yong-ok Lee, and many other shamans, all members of the Chilmeori-dang Yeongdeung-gut Preservation Society. UNESCO inscription of this ritual was sought by Jeju Province as a deliberate step toward the inscription of the haenyeo culture, now in progress. Chilmeori shrine ritual to Youngdeung. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo. In the ritual, Yowang (in Jeju dialect; called “Yongwang” in the mainland), dragon god of the sea, is invoked. It is this deity, and in particular his wife Yowang Halmang (also called Yowang Buin), to which Jeju haenyeo most closely align; the Yeong- deung-gut not only honors Yeongdeung Halmang but also these sea gods, and village patron gods as well. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

22 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 23 Shamanist Religion

Jamsu-gut four other shamans and supported by members of the Keun-gut [Grand Rite] Preservation Society In addition to the Yeongdeung-gut there are which she heads. Suh, an hereditary shaman who many other annual shamanist rites observed by the has been serving her community for 4 decades, fol- diving women, the most directly relevant of which lows in the footsteps of her now deceased mother is the ‘jamsu-gut’ (‘diving rite’). Held in spring (3rd who was a ‘keun-simbang’ or Grand Shaman. The month of lunar calendar), it is an elaborate full-day Gimnyeong Jamsu-gut is a great celebration, a time ceremony meant to placate the sea gods, Yowang when the 100+ haenyeo of the village come together and Yowang Halmang. The shamans further entreat for food, ritual, and bonding. Reflecting the greater the youngest son of these deities, who is said to have haenyeo community, nearly all are over the age of his parents’ heart and can easily persuade them. 50 and a majority in their elder years. Some villages additionally invoke Jacheongbi, god- Government officials from village, city and even dess of earth who brought grain to Jeju people; the provincial levels visit the ritual to pay their respects. haenyeo, and indeed all Jeju people, traditionally Bowing before the altar to first acknowledge the Personal rituals by the sea. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee view both earth and sea as their ‘fields’ — and, in the gods, they subsequently honor the presiding sha- context of any Jeju shamanist ritual, all ancestors man, haenyeo chief, village women’s leaders, and throughout the day. Naturally, marine products also that her life is in danger. The work is physically and spirits are welcomed. attending haenyeo, leaving a donation before they figure prominently on the altar to the sea gods. challenging and the toll of repeated diving as well Ultimately, the day’s events also serve as a de fac- depart. A handful of researchers also attend, a small The ritual follows a typical pattern of invoking the as accidents and other circumstances, in conjunc- to celebration of what it means to be a haenyeo. The and dedicated group of regulars whose respectful gods, identifying participants and purpose, divining tion with advancing age, render every dive a threat. jamsu-gut is viewed as the most beloved ritual of the presence is accepted by both shamans and haenyeo. the probable outcome of the year, entreating and According to a haenyeo proverb, “We enter the divers, as it is held solely for their benefit and en- It is not a public event. entertaining the gods including offerings in order to Otherworld to earn our living, and return to this treats dedicated Jeju deities, while the Yeongdeung- In the East Gimnyeong haenyeo complex, a col- worship and ensure their benevolence, and finally one to save our kids.” Every year, haenyeo die in the gut honors a visiting goddess and is held for divers lection of buildings that include a large community bidding the deities farewell. In the identification of sea, upon which a very different ritual, one meant to and fishers alike. Both rituals, however, are highly / dining hall, bathhouse, place of worship, and participants the history of the local community is claim her soul back from its watery grave and con- significant. more, the ritual is adjacent to the party. In this typically recounted; additionally, the shaman out- sole her diving sisters, must be performed. While the jamsu-gut may be held in any coastal way, as shamanist drumming and women’s laugh- lines the difficulties faced by the haenyeo in order to The jamsu-gut is thus of supreme importance village of the island, one of the most well-recognized ter overlap, the sacred and the civic merge as one. engender the gods’ sympathy – and, as consolation to the diver community, as they ask the gods once today is that of East Gimnyeong Village. The ritual The celebration includes a vast array of seafood, for the diving women in their hardship. again to keep them safe and to bring them prosper- is presided over by Shaman Suh Sun-sil, joined by prepared and served by rotating groups of women Every time a haenyeo enters the sea, she knows ity – for one more year.

24 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 25 Shamanist Religion

Other rituals

Historically, Jeju people held public rituals ing her traveled by car to the next village where the

throughout the year, marking the agro-marine drowned woman’s body had been recovered. At For the haenyeo, immersed in shamanist belief and devoted cycles. They have also turned to shamanist ritual for the sea’s edge, a rite was performed to placate the to their deities, theirs has always been a life of ritual. private purposes: to conceive a child, pass an exam, sea deities; the shamans provided offerings while heal a disease, observe a significant event, mourn chanting to express great respect, pleading with the the dead, and more. dragon gods to release the dead woman’s spirit. For the haenyeo, immersed in shamanist belief When assured of her presence, the lead shaman and devoted to their deities, theirs has always been a acted as ‘container’ for the woman’s soul, allowing life of ritual. From the simple gesture of tossing rice- herself to be temporarily ‘possessed’ by the deceased cake offerings into the sea before diving, to kitchen in order to ‘carry’ her back to her haenyeo sisters rituals, to the tamping of the soil before building or - a very emotional and psychologically significant burying in order to acknowledge the earth gods, to event. a myriad of household deities, theirs is a world im- The second day’s ritual, the lead shaman thus mersed in the divine. informed, could now focus on releasing the dead One of the most poignant rituals for these diving woman’s spirit to the Otherworld and consoling the women is perhaps that performed when one of their survivors — soothing their fears that this could well number has died under the sea. be their own fate. A number of haenyeo die each year while diving. Shamanism has long been conceptualized as folk One such shamanist funereal ritual, held over 2 days psychology, and the Jeju shamans speak of ‘healing in 2012, began with general rites of mourning and the mind’ as a major tenet of their work. There is remembrance, as well as specific healing measures no better example of this than the funeral ritual for for the haenyeo who discovered her body and also a drowned diving women, focused not only on the for the rescue workers who pulled her corpse from passage of her soul but just as much on the healing the watery grave. of her haenyeo sisters who have lost a friend and In the closing ritual of the first day, while perhaps colleague — and daily face their own mortality. Shaman Sun-sil Suh provides offerings to the sea gods. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo. 60 attending haenyeo remained at the funeral site, the lead shaman and two others who were assist-

26 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 27 Foods

The work of Jeju haenyeo is all about food, har- the royal court of the Joseon era. High in nutritive delicacy served primarily at celebratory events. The is less abundant, scarcity keeping its price high. vested from ‘fields’ of both sea and land, provided value, it is often made into a porridge which renders delicate purple urchin found in these waters, hauled Served with seaweed in an anchovy stock, it is a dish for their family and community but primarily sold it easily digestible — especially good for children, in by the net-full during its brief season in late entirely reminiscent of the sea itself. for profit. In their shamanist rituals, marine prod- elderly, and the ill. The abalone can also be viewed spring, yielded a high price due to its unwieldy na- In early spring, when winter stores were depleted ucts can be seen on the altar in great abundance, as a metaphor for the hardship of haenyeo life. Diffi- ture and difficult processing, and was thus reserved and not even the earliest agricultural products could and in ritual as well as in life, the sharing of food is cult to find in the darkest depths, clinging fiercely to for special occasions and otherwise sold. Today it be harvested, when the shellfish reseeding and win- always included. rock, requiring special tools and great effort to har- ter waters had precluded diving for some time, food A culture is known through its foods. Across the vest, the highly prized abalone reveals the difficult was at its scarcest. At this time of year, it was dishes globe, researchers and writers have studied cul- nature of haenyeo work. of haenyeo-harvested and preserved seaweed (tob- tures by what their foods tell us. Simple foods may The salty turban shell (‘sora’) and sea cucumber bap) as well as potatoes (goguma-bap) that sus- indicate limited resources, poverty, hardworking (‘haesan toryeom’ or ‘ginseng of the sea’) have al- tained the island’s people. individuals too busy for extensive preparation, or a ways been plentiful in Jeju waters. A source of en- Jeju Island, with its hardships represented by valuing of simplicity for health or religious reasons. ergy according to local lore, they are comparatively volcanic soil, strong winds and waves, frequent A more elaborate cuisine, on the other hand, might easy to harvest and as such have long represented droughts, periodic typhoons, and isolation from demonstrate wealth, prominence, abundant re- one of the mainstays of the Jeju haenyeo diet. An- the mainland, was historically a place of sources, group (or servant) preparation, or cultural other of Jeju’s more abundant shellfish is the sea poverty. codes of hospitality. snail (‘bomal’). People lived simply, and food was Significant traditional dishes of the Jeju haenyeo One of the fleshier of mollusks, it provides a frequently scarce. This combina- include abalone, topshell, sea cucumber, sea snail, goodly amount of protein and as a result has been tion of elements prohibited all but seaweeds, crab, and sea urchin, all supplemented referred to by Jeju people as the ‘meat of the sea’. It subsistence farming — but the by a variety of vegetables grown in the divers’ fields. too is often made into a highly digestible porridge. sea, though dangerous, always These stalwart women, risking their lives time and The slow cooking method of the rice-based por- provided sustenance. again by going repeatedly into the sea, work equally ridge is suitable for many a dish of busy women. A in the hardscrabble volcanic fields and fierce winds local favorite is the crab porridge, made with small that define this island culture. crustaceans (‘ginki’) found along the shore. The size

Abalone (‘jeonbok’) has long been known for its of the crab requires delicate work to extract and The nangpoon dining style, where food is shared from one pot. Photo courtesy Jeju Traditional Food Institute medicinal properties. This was also historically a many to make a meal, and is thus referred to as ‘love source of lucrative yield for Jeju haenyeo and the from Mother’s hands’. island’s economy — and was required as tribute by Sea urchin soup (‘seongge guk’) was and still is a

28 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 29 Songs

Ieodo-sana, Ieodo-sana / Merciful Dragon Sea God / May we have good fortune / With abalone and conch in abundance / Please let me dive in peace / Ieodo-sana, Ieodo-sana....

of ‘paradise lost’ — a nostalgia for the traditions and stress relief and emotional consolation, strengthen- indigenous lifestyle now gone. ing their solidarity with their Jeju sisters. A protest song was written by Kang Kwan-soon, Sample lyrics of the classic Ieodo song — lyrics one of the haenyeo resistance leaders of the 1930s, which, according to today’s haenyeo, changed with while she was in jail. Though the demonstrations each rendition: “Ieodo-sana, Ieodo-sana / Merciful Haenyeo Festival, an annual event. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo. were for fair market practices, this song soon be- Dragon Sea God / May we have good fortune / With came an anthem for independence from Japanese abalone and conch in abundance / Please let me rule. dive in peace / Ieodo-sana, Ieodo-sana....” A number of songs are associated with Jeju hae- husband, lost at sea as was often the case, had gone One controversial refrain (in English transla- And perhaps even more poignant: “Ieodo-sana, nyeo, their lyrics naturally in the local dialect. Some to live, and where she too would join him one day. tion), which resulted in a ban against its being sung: Ieodo-sana / These months, please don’t go / My are labor songs, historically sung when the haenyeo The longing was intermingled with dread, however; “Everywhere the ignorant haenyeo goes / they set youth is spent / When I was in my twenties / I could would row a boat out to deeper waters for diving or while she might want reunion with her husband or up exploitation rules / and suck up our blood and have toppled the rocks of mountain valleys / When to faraway lands for migrant work, songs meant to lover, as well as relief from her daily hardship, the sweat / where are we poor haenyeo to go?“ I was in my forties and fifties / My lover turned keep up spirits — and, rhythm. ‘crossing over to Ieodo’ was akin to that of the River Other songs expressed the sadness and displace- around while on his way to meet me / All you young Some of the songs contain lyrics of longing, no- Styx in Greek mythology: payment for entry to the ment of the migrant haenyeo, sorrow at leaving her people / Don’t make fun of this white hair of mine tably for the mythical ‘Ieodo’ or island of afterlife Otherworld being the sacrifice of one’s mortal coil. family and homeland as well as her unfamiliarity / The child becomes white-haired soon enough / — where it was understood that a woman’s fisher A modern interpretation of this far-off island is that and discomfort in the new land. Such songs brought Ieodo-sana, Ieodo-sana....“

30 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 31 Voice of the Haenyeo Jongdal Village

Bong-seon WOO (b.1944)

My father passed away when I was three years old. My mother became a widow in her 40s. She had five children and often went off to the mainland to make money. We waited and waited for her to return.

My father passed away when I was three years old. My mother became a widow in her 40s. She had five children and often went off to the mainland to make money. We waited and waited for her to return. She didn’t do any farming — only diving — because she was from Udo. We were poor and hungry all the time. She wasn’t able to make enough money by diving because haenyeo could only stay in the water for an hour in their cot- ton suits. Because my mother was often away, I cooked for my brothers and did all of the housework. They went to school, and I worked on a small farm nearby. I began working on a farm at the age of seven. I stopped attending school in the fourth grade and started learning to be a haenyeo at age 13.

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo

Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

32 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 33 Myths and Stories

“To understand a place and its people, you must tures across the globe – and throughout time, as an of its creation myth is highly unusual among the or metaphorically today, or dismissed altogether, learn about its mythology.” These are the words of exploration of what it means to be human. world’s mythologies, and a primary source behind it clearly continues to shape present-day society, as Kim Soonie, Jeju mythologist and local representa- The worldview of Jeju is evidenced in its myths, the local archetype of the ‘strong Jeju woman’. To best expressed by Koh: “Jeju Island is a mythic land tive of the Cultural Heritage Administration. Re- according to mythology scholar Heakyoung Koh, this day, the people of Jeju maintain a mystical in which the inhabitants are saturated with the sa- nowned scholar of psychology Carl G. Jung and my- author of the award-winning “In the Beginning relationship to this central volcano and the creation cred.” thologist Joseph Campbell both wrote extensively There was Seolmundae” (2010). “The gut [shamanic figure of Goddess Seolmundae. The diving women, on this concept. The mythology of a people tells us ritual], which unfolds an entire cosmic drama from in addition to their devotion to the sea gods, not only about its past but also about its collective the beginning of the world to the present, gives maintain connection to and indeed embody this worldview and the underpinnings of modern-day palpable experience to the web of life in which omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent goddess society. Jeju’s people spiritually and psychologically locate who, it is said, having completed her creation of Jeju, ‘Island of 18,000 Gods’ with its longstanding themselves,” Koh has written. “Symbolic and mythic Jeju, sank into its deepest and most sacred wetland shamanist tradition, is an area rife with myths. But [ways of] living and seeing the world are deeply where she forever resides beneath the island in the do the people of 21st-century Jeju still truly believe embedded in the Jeju people’s daily lives....The manner of deus otiosus. that a giant goddess – rather than a volcano – cre- inhabitants in Jeju see the image in nature from Whether the mythology of Jeju is believed literally Creator Seolmundae. Ilustration Courtesy, Jeju Stone Park ated this island and outlying islets? Do they believe which the story spontaneously unfolds.” that the patriarchs of Jeju’s three original tribes – The island culture has several origination myths. demi-gods surnamed Bu, Ko, and Yang – actually In addition to that of the 3 demi-god progenitors, emerged from volcanic vents in the ground, in a coupled with 3 goddesses (later referred to as ‘prin- manner reminiscent of snakes? (In fact, a tradition cesses’) who floated to shore in a crate from a myth- of snake worship was also long maintained in Jeju, ical kingdom across the sea, another myth explains held by some to this day.) the origin of the universe. In this, the Emperor of Devotees of the local shamanist religion may well Heaven creates a chaotic world with two suns and be true believers. Post-modernists may dismiss two moons, tasking his two sons with the creation of these myths and legends as mere superstition. Many order out of chaos. advocate the preservation of myth as an aspect of The central creation myth of Jeju Island Jeju’s cultural heritage. A transpersonal under- itself, however, involves a giant goddess called standing of mythology reframes myths as metaphor Seolmundae, deification of the volcano from which for understanding a culture’s deepest features. In this island emerged and about whom stories this way, Jeju’s myths relate to those of other cul- abound. To have a single female deity at the center Emergence of the demi-god progenitors. Photo courtesy Jeju Provincial Government.

34 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 35 Significant Myths for Haenyeo

All of the mythology of Jeju, traditionally a matri- but these two weeks to please Yeongdeung Hal- focal culture, was significant to its women, none mang, their efforts and relationship to her by neces- more so than the haenyeo. However, a few of the sity intense. For she is fickle, changeable, capricious myths held particular importance. As both the jam- and pernicious – and, never having lived among su-gut and Yeongdeung-gut were specifically held humans, has no genuine relationship with them. to benefit the diving women, the stories of God- In earlier times, therefore, these two weeks – dess Yeongdeung and of the sea’s Dragon King and when extremes of wind and cold render it too Queen hold a special place. dangerous for divers and fishers to work – were a time of worship and merriment. A 14-day shamanist ‘keun-gut’ or great rite to the goddess was held, Yeongdeung Halmang during which time all activity was meant to enter- tain and please her in order to guarantee a safe and Jeju gods and goddesses are considered members bountiful year for an island people dependent upon of the community, ancestors – indeed, some of them the sea. Some people today also include this god- Chilmeori shrine ritual to Youngdeung. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee. were once in human form and deified after death, dess in their ancestral ceremonies, or ‘jesa’, held while others arrived as gods on Jeju from elsewhere throughout the year. Goddess of the Sea and wife of the Dragon King; order to disempower women, shamanism, and god- and stayed, becoming part of the fabric of daily life. Yeongdeung Halmang brings with her the seed- Yeongdeung Halmang seeds the waters, and it is dess mythology. Worshipping at the village shrine could be thought ling marine creatures and plants, and if happy, scat- Yowang Halmang who cultivates them. A later myth Yeongdeung Halmang’s story begins when, as a of as ‘Going to visit Grandma’, as the word ‘halmang’ ters her seeds over the surface of Jeju waters. She describes Yeongdeung Halmang as scattering seed young sea goddess, she comes to the aid of sailors of Jeju dialect is used for both ‘grandmother’ and is accompanied by dolphins, and if they are spotted also over the soil of the island, thus relating her to who are shipwrecked on a northern island, help- ‘goddess’. frolicking in the waters of Jeju during this time, it agriculture; however, this is primarily thought to be ing them to escape being devoured by cyclops. She Yeongdeung Halmang, however, is different. is an auspicious sign. When she departs, calling to the role of Jacheongbi, earth goddess and she who exhorts the men to sail quickly to their home, Jeju Each year, in the liminal period between winter and her a northwest wind which she rides out to sea, she brought the six grains to Jeju. Island, without looking back and all the while saying spring, she comes roaring in from the sea, entering leaves behind an indication of her mood. If there is Yeongdeung Halmang has also been identified at a magical chant, but they lose their focus once their the island in the northwest at Hansu Village on the warm weather at the time of her departure, dem- times as a male god. While she may have emerged beloved island is in sight – and, the spell broken, first day of the second lunar month. After 14 days onstrating her warmhearted pleasure, the year’s from a single deity split into male-female as was the are instantly transported back to the island of the of whirling fiercely about Jeju, she makes her exit marine harvest will be plentiful; if cold, divers and case with others, this is just as likely to be another cyclops. at Udo, an outlying smaller island. Unlike worship fishers should beware. distortion developed during the Joseon Dynasty The goddess helps them again and this time they of other gods throughout the year, Jeju people have She shares a relationship with Yowang Halmang, with its strong adoption of Neo-Confucian ideals, in return safely home. Meanwhile, enraged by the god-

36 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 37 Significant Myths for Haenyeo

dess’ actions – and, by her continual rejection of the Yowang and Yowang Halmang Only the smallest fragments of other myths re- very active life that she chose for herself. Unafraid of cyclops leader’s would-be affections, the cyclops tear lated to these deities remain, though the Dragon death, she did what she needed to do with courage the goddess into pieces and scatter her body parts While Yeongdeung is a harbinger of the diving Queen and King themselves retain a very prominent and determination. in the sea. The theme of deities helping humans to season, it is the Dragon King and Queen to whom place in the hearts and minds of the diving women. There are a number of myths about Jacheongbi. escape monsters or other dangers, often resulting the haenyeo pray daily, and who they believe In one, she disguises herself as a young man in or- in their own sacrifice, can be found in many of the ultimately protect them under the sea. Surprisingly, der to pursue higher education – and to remain in world’s myths. however, there is little remaining mythology Jacheongbi the company of a young god for whom she has an It is Yeongdeung Halmang’s mother, the sea, and surrounding these divine figures - if indeed there attraction. Many more stories abound concerning her father, the wind, who must find the pieces of her ever was. Rather, they are perceived as divine The earth goddess Jacheongbi, credited with this pair; in one such, he returns to the Garden of body one-by-one and stitch them back together, a parents, governing both sea and sky, ever-present bringing to Jeju people the six grains that consti- Heaven at his father the Emperor’s bidding, but common motif in the world’s mythology. From this, and all-powerful. tute the core of the local diet, is also significant to forgets to return to his young wife on Earth — and she becomes a powerful goddess, associated not Local shamans report that it is especially to the haenyeo. Despite her identity as a deity of land she, overcoming great challenges, travels there to only with wind and sea but with the scattering of Yowang Halmang, perceived by the haenyeo as a rather than sea, she is nonetheless favored as Jeju retrieve him. seed over the waters – just as she herself was scat- Great Mother archetype, that the divers pray - and divers spend an equal amount of time cultivating In another Jacheongbi myth, a servant of her tered. to her youngest son, who they feel has the charming their land crops. father’s, thinking himself in love with Jacheongbi, One of the universal themes of shamanism, a influence over his mother of any ‘baby of the family’. Jacheongbi is one of the most popular goddesses attempts to force himself on the young maiden. practice spread from the Altaic and Tuvan regions One remaining myth fragment involves the among Jeju people – especially, the island’s women. While she is thought of as ‘just a feeble girl’ by her of mid-Siberia to cultures throughout the world, youngest daughter of the sea deities — and the A particularly strong figure, she is not only an earth parents who fail to recognize her deity (another is that of the shaman – healer and religious leader youngest son (youngest child being a common motif goddess but also a goddess of love. She is indepen- common motif in Jeju myth), she is powerful in – undergoing an initiation which includes a psy- in Jeju mythology) of Geum Baekjo, all-powerful dent, courageous, and makes decisions based on reality, and easily kills the would-be rapist. To atone chological or symbolic process of dismemberment Jeju goddess and mother to all of the island’s sha- logic rather than emotion; she wins over the Emper- for her deed, however, to restore justice and right and reassembly. It is believed that only by profound manist deities. When this son, Gwenaegitdo, was or of Heaven, thus bringing life-sustaining grains to the wrong that she feels she has done – or, out of disintegration and reintegration can the shaman banished from the island as a young boy by his the Jeju people. simple compassion, she again travels to the Garden achieve intimate knowledge of the immaterial world vengeful father who threw him out to sea in an iron Jeju women can both identify with and project of Heaven in order to find the plant that will restore and a corresponding ability to communicate with its box, he found himself in the watery kingdom of the their own images onto her, coupled with fantasy and him to life – and, a second plant that will cure his spirits. Dragon God — where the youngest daughter saved longing. Indeed, her name, ja-cheong, can be trans- ‘greedy desire’ for women. While it is important to placate the visiting god- him and he ultimately fell in love with and married lated as ‘wants for oneself’ – indicating indepen- In this Garden of Life, there are flowers represent- dess of wind and sea, it is deemed even moreso for her, taking her first to faraway China and finally re- dence and self-reliance coupled with compassion, ing each person on earth, as well as one to cure each the resident sea goddess, the Dragon Queen. turning with her to Jeju. a long-standing model for Jeju women. She held a disease or negative circumstance – a microcosm of

38 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 39 Significant Myths for Haenyeo Dialect

the macrocosm. To gain access to the Garden and is especially associated with hardy buckwheat, The island’s indigenous language is distinct from cally endangered languages’ issued in December of decipher which of the flowers she needs, she once however. Ever sure of herself in her knowledge that of mainland Korea in several ways. Most nota- 2010, deeming it ‘in immediate danger of extinc- again disguises herself as a young man and tricks and pragmatism, Jacheongbi asks the Emperor of bly, a significant percentage of the vocabulary differs tion’ according to Jeju government’s Culture and the gardener’s daughter into telling her the secret. Heaven for a 6th grain, one that would grow in the completely from the lexis of the peninsula. In addi- Art division. As a result, the provincial government Jacheongbi does not anticipate, however, that the harshest of conditions and nearly throughout the tion, both its morphology and phonetics are mark- has implemented several events to encourage use of young maiden would fall in love with her, believing year. edly unique, so much so that Korean tourists find the local dialect. Already in place is an association her to be a young man. The Jeju people, none more than the haenyeo, are it impossible to understand. While not a separate for preservation of the dialect, which sponsors an To preserve the young woman’s honor, Jacheongbi a very pragmatic lot. Grains with which an entire language entirely, the mother tongue of locals floats annual speech competition. Additionally, a dialect marries the young maiden, again engaging themes people can be fed indefinitely, and medicines to cure somewhere between the measures of ‘language’ and singing event is held during the Tamna Festival of cross-dressing and gender ambiguity. Indeed, every ill, are by far the priority. Dedication, compas- ‘dialect.’ each autumn. A few elementary and middle schools Jacheongbi is often depicted as a shapeshifter, not sion, and self-determination are above all. However, The pure form of Jeju’s indigenous language, have small language programs in Jeju dialect as merely disguising herself but able to change her the gaining of knowledge, and of love, and improv- from the period when the island was a distinct well, though these amount more to clubs than to gender at will and having the characteristics of both ing one’s lot in life – these are also a part of the Jeju kingdom with its own sovereignty, is long gone. In educational initiatives. female and male in balance, according to the Taoist story. Always – at the hand of a strong goddess. its place is a fusion of many languages, a result of The government encourages local schools to in- philosophy of yinyang that Korea inherited from multiple invasions and 1000 years of Korean domi- clude the Jeju dialect in their regular curriculum, China. The message in this is that the same ability lies nance. but this has not yet proved successful. The only way in each individual, if they only know how to access it Other A local prejudice against the dialect is forming, to truly preserve the language, according to some, — and acting ‘like men’ in their independence, strong directly influenced by the historical negative stereo- would be to make it a mandatory requirement of all will, and capacity for earning a good income, is a Many other strong goddesses figure into the Jeju type of Jeju people by those on the mainland. There schools. Even then, unless it is also spoken in the description long applied to the Jeju haenyeo. mythology, each with her own stories, and all serv- is an increasing sentiment today that the dialect is homes and communities, it will go the way of Latin, While in the Garden of Heaven, Jacheongbi ing to influence the ‘strong woman’ archetype of spoken only by ‘country folk’ who are perceived as able to be read but not used for conversation. comes upon a riot among the gods. Devising a the island as especially embodied by the haenyeo. less sophisticated or educated. Young people speak Much of the tradition, especially its mythology solution, she is able to quell the dispute. In profound Some of these include Gamunjang-Agi, goddess of the dialect among their peers and within the family, and legends, is an oral one, handed down from the gratitude, the Emperor of Heaven tells her that she fortune; Samseung Halmang of childbirth; Jowang liberally sprinkling it with words and vocal manner- ancestors. It’s not only a language that’s at stake, but can return to earth freely, and gives her 5 grains to Halmang, kitchen goddess; the aforementioned isms from the standard form of Korean language. a significant portion of heritage. A culture’s identity take with her in order that the earthbound humans Geum Baekjo, mother of all shamanist gods on Jeju; When speaking to a professor or other superior, is closely intertwined with its use of a common – in this case, those of Jeju – could adequately feed snake goddesses; maiden goddesses, one of whom however, they quickly switch to the Seoul standard, language; the same can be said of community themselves: barley, rice, millet, foxtail millet, and the haenyeo of outlying island Marado specifically stating that the local dialect is ‘disrespectful’. bonding. The fear is ultimately one of lost identity. bean (the latter not technically a grain). Jacheongbi worship; and many more. UNESCO included Jeju dialect in its list of ‘criti-

40 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 41 Voice of the Haenyeo Gimnyeong Village

Do-saeng KANG (b.1913)

I am one of the haenyeo who went overseas to Japan to dive.... In former times, many haenyeo went back to work immediately after delivering their baby, sometimes at sea.

I am one of the haenyeo who went overseas to Japan to dive....Those of us who worked in Japan made more money than if we had stayed in Jeju. I stayed in Japan for about five months at a time, came home, and then went back again. Meanwhile, my husband took care of our children.... I don’t know what made me such a good diver. People who couldn’t hold their breath for a long time couldn’t work in the deep sea. But I could hold my breath for a very long time, so I could dive pretty deep. The deeper I dived under the sea, the more I gathered.... I have nine children. I had four with my husband, and there are five others who were actually fathered with my husband’s ‘second wife’.... One of the other things I also did years ago was serving as a midwife for other haenyeo and my neighbors. In former times, many haenyeo went back to work immediately after delivering their baby, sometimes at sea. Babies born at sea were referred to as ‘baeseonie’ [boat babies].

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo

Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

42 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 43 Trauma and Healing

Indeed, it would be difficult to find any native inhabitant of Jeju who has not been directly or indirectly affected.

Walls displaying the names of known victims of the April 3 Uprising, in which 10 percent of Jeju residents were believed to be killed. Photo courtesy Jeju April 3rd Peace Park

Jeju is a post-conflict society in active pursuit of structures, unexplained disappearances, suspicion, tive inhabitant of Jeju who has not been directly or was also the period of the Korean War and a time of healing, a powerful meme on the island even today betrayal, extended terror and generalized instabil- indirectly affected. political instability; in addition, it was immediately and a strong element in the overall cultural milieu ity. While the details including culpability may Haenyeo, many of whose fathers, husbands or following independence from 35 years of Japanese including that of the haenyeo. never be fully revealed, it nonetheless represents sons were executed or ‘disappeared’, whose coastal colonization, and was a time when many haenyeo A mid-20th century period of trauma (1947-1954), a time of sustained and repeated trauma for all in- villages became refuges as the mid-mountain region were leaving Jeju for migratory work. A majority known by a significant anniversary date of April 3rd volved. The battle for truth, justice, reparation and was pronounced off-limits by the Korean military of today’s remaining haenyeo are now aged 70 and (4.3, pronounced “sa-sam”), was an era filled with reconciliation is ongoing, bravely fought by activists, in suspicion of rebels and communists hiding there, above, which means they were children or even mass state-ordered executions, decimation of entire researchers, artists, writers, and survivors and their whose waters became ‘polluted’ by the bodies be- young adults during this terror-filled period. villages by fire, refugee hideouts in caves and similar families. Indeed, it would be difficult to find any na- ing dumped in them, were powerfully affected. This Across the Korean nation, the term “healing”

44 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 45

has suddenly and powerfully entered the cultural prevent any true measure of healing. The concepts narrative, and while it is also applied somewhat in- of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ are also too narrowly ap- discriminately as a marketing trend, it nevertheless plied, as traumatization extends well beyond those represents an awakening in the Korean psyche of who were directly affected physically and/or emo- insufficiently addressed emotional wounding. Until tionally. The effects of trauma and terror reach also quite recently, the concept of “healing” was deemed to those who were not present for actual events but unfamiliar to Koreans. Today, it has exploded onto who were secondarily affected, such as the family the national stage. Well-being, an earlier move- members of those killed or who disappeared. ment, is a concept that assumes a baseline of health. Young children are especially vulnerable in a ter- Found insufficient by many, the need to achieve the ror-filled environment, particularly those under the latter before the former becomes possible would age of five, for whom brain development is highly now seem to be more widely understood. susceptible to the influx of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and others. This phenomenon, negatively impacting the ability

Trauma to form healthy relationships, resulting in emotional Healing ritual at trauma memorial. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo. instability, and preventing the development of a Much is not yet realized about the nature of Jeju’s core sense of safety and belief in a benevolent world, Resilience nity that has contributed to their survival. trauma, however. Not all trauma reults in post- is often referred to as ‘the neurobiology of terror’. With a history not only of hardship but of mul- traumatic stress symptoms, as the acute phase This profoundly affected age cohort can be found It is well known among researchers of post- tiple invasions by others and perceived insults from typically passes within one to three months follow- among those Jeju people now in their late 60s. conflict societies that the effects of war and other the mainland and central government, the people ing the traumatic event. However, Type II trauma, Intergenerational transmission of trauma is an- sustained traumas, such as that experienced by the of Jeju have formed and relied upon a strong bond sustained and/or involving multiple incidents, is other often poorly understood concept. Children people of Jeju, can take up to 100 years – five gen- with one another which has sustained them despite especially difficult to resolve and more often results reared by adults who suffered severe traumatization erations – to fully resolve. this severe and long-lasting rift in the fabric of their in lasting symptomatology. for which they were not treated, even if those chil- Humans are resilient, even in the face of severe society. Surely there are few more resilient than the The fact that a half-century of political suppres- dren were not born until well after the event itself, and sustained trauma. Resilience is the ability not Jeju haenyeo, in light of their daily encounters with sion followed this period, to include government de- suffer many of the same psychological symptoms only to survive extreme hardship but even to thrive danger and the possibility of death, and their pow- nial of culpability and criminalization of its discus- as their parents and are prone to develop such dis- in its aftermath. The people of Jeju, having faced erfully bonded women’s community. sion, as well as extension of victims’ ‘criminal’ status orders as depression, anxiety, social phobias, and multiple hardships for centuries, share a high de- Individual resilience, however, deteriorates with to family members, served to fester this wound and substance abuse, among others. gree of adaptability and a strong sense of commu- age, as researchers of Holocaust survivors have

46 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 47

Haenyeo as Freedom Fighters

learned. A particularly vulnerable group on Jeju, escape, as is often thought. The past in fact, for the in addition to those who were young children at traumatized person, folds in on the present; that is, Jeju haenyeo are often identified in mod- Hado and Sehwa villages, organized a protest the time of the traumatic events, are the “old-old” past traumatic events are experienced, consciously ern times as having been ‘independence’ or movement. By late 1931 they had created a ‘freedom’ fighters in the early 20th century, document of their concerns and demands as they are known in the medical field. Those over or unconsciously, as if they are occurring now, during the time of Korea’s colonization by which was delivered to the Jeju government 80 years of age who suffered trauma at an earlier which can be extremely disabling. For the elderly Japan (1910-1945). While this was ultimately and the fishing cooperative; by early 1932, time in life, yet were resilient and highly functioning person, resilient throughout their lives in the after- true at least in part, they didn’t set out to fight they held their first demonstration in which subsequently, are known to experience latent post- math of so much trauma and tragedy, this ‘flashback’ for their country’s independence. What they hundreds of divers participated. traumatic symptoms with the breakdown of physi- experience of past trauma as present reality is a re- wanted, initially, was economic justice and an More than 200 meetings and 9 demonstra- end to what they considered exploitation. tions later, involving thousands of haenyeo cal and cognitive-emotional health that often comes traumatization at an especially fragile time. It was during the Japanese rule that the and their supporters, they finally achieved with advanced age. This, renders the Jeju diving The disruptions to Jeju society, to its sense of work of Jeju haenyeo finally became recog- some measure of success. However, 34 divers women, while among the most resilient overall, now community and individual relationships, to the nized as a legitimate profession or marine and 12 supporters were jailed, and the core increasingly at risk of psychological fragility due to health of its elders including those who do not per- industry; prior to the colonial period, the of the movement shifted to one more gener- long-term effects of trauma. ceive themselves to be ‘survivors’ of this historic diving work was simply viewed as low-level, ally anti-colonization and pro-independence. unskilled manual labor. With this eleva- While in jail, a haenyeo movement leader The key feature of trauma symptomatology is trauma, are ongoing and in need of greater under- tion to professional status, however, came named Kwan-soon Kang wrote the lyrics for a distortion of time. The past does not invade the standing – and, healing. systematization: fishing collectives known what would become the haenyeo anthem in present, in the form of memories that a person can’t as ‘eochongye’ were created which oversaw this cause; the ancillary Hado Night School the work, including sales and exportation, of that many haenyeo had been attending be- haenyeo and fishermen alike, replacing the came increasingly involved with the Hyeoku autonomy that the haenyeo had previously Alliance, a pro-independence group. known through their own union-like struc- In the greater context, Jeju has long been ture called ‘jamsu-hoi’. Regulations were es- known for its independent spirit, none more tablished, an export agency to Japan was set than the strong-willed, socially supported, up in Busan, and the diving profession and and self-sufficient haenyeo. Jeju, having export business was reframed. been a sovereignty until it was subsumed ort agents had questionable scruples, by Korea 1000 years ago, and retaining a and by early 1930s they were selling fair amount of self-governance through the product illegally, underpaying the haenyeo, Joseon Era and even today, retains a strong and allowing one agent in Japan to run a sense of self-reliance; in the manner of many monopoly at a 40% discount on importation. islands and mainlands across the globe, the A memorial to those acknowledged as missing. Photo courtesy Yang Jo Hoon The divers of northeast Jeju, especially in relationship is a complicated one.

48 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea I. Haenyeo Culture 49 II. Glob al Awareness of Haenyeo

Haenyeo have burst onto the global stage — in newspapers, magazines, websites, film, photography, literature, public presentation, and more. Respected newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Guardian have featured the haenyeo; well-known magazines include New Yorker, Harpers, Intelligent Life (Economist), Traveller and Luxury Travel have joined in. International artists the likes of David Alan Harvey and Mikhail Karikis have focused their work on the diving women. Jeju Island is also a major convention destination, enticing events which often in turn spotlight the haenyeo; two recent such of note were the congresses of the International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN], and the International Federation of Business and Professional Women [BPW International].

·Foreign Media and Artistic Voice of the Haenyeo Representation ·Gwideok Village ·Woljeong Village ·IUCN World Conservation Congress ·Sagye Village ·BPW International Congress Box Inset

·Presentation in Other Countries ·Haenyeo as Native Marine Biologists

Leap into the Underworld. Photo by Brenda Paik Sunoo.

50 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 51 Foreign Media and Artistic Representation

Vol. Ⅵ No. 126 December 2014

A haenyeo holds aloft an octopus after grabbing it in front of photographer David Alan Harvey's eyes. An interview with Harvey is on pages 1 and 3. Photo by David Alan Harvey Designer : Ko Ayoung : Darren Southcott Designer Hee Editor Song Jung +82-64-724-7776, 702-8885 / Fax : +82-64-724-7796 Korea Phone : +82-64-724-7776, Jeju City, Maru Bldg. 217 Jungang-ro, 505 Jeju Venture Rm. Iconic photographer Taylor wins fifth title Publisher : Publisher Address : [email protected] please contact: or further inquiries For advertizing turns lens to haenyeo as AIBA worlds close David Alan Harvey was invited to Jeju to Champions crowned across 10 weight divisions document the island's diving women after five days of women’s boxing championships

By Douglas MacDonald which will be provided by novelist By The Jeju Weekly has the London 2012 Olympics gold [email protected] and poet Hyun Kil-Un. I caught up [email protected] and every European championships with Harvey while he was shooting in since 2005. Marine Policy, Korean Studies (Hawaii), Joint modern world.For nearly half a century, NationalThe Jeju’s northeast, exhibition, around Hado-ri, Katie Taylor is being hailed often as the “I am absolutely accompanied delighted. It was spent several years capturing Jeju’s natural settings Media Geographic and Magnum Photos Gujwa-eup. greatest sportsperson Ireland has such a tight contest, every round was agency photographer David Alan Using the island's beautiful volcanic ever produced after winning her fifth very close and tricky. The tactics Harvey has captured the attention of rock landscapes and shimmering sea AIBA Women's World Boxing from my dad and Zuar Antia were millions with his brightly colored, as a backdrop, Harvey said he aims Championships gold medal at the spot on again. Every Championships light-filled images of people and to capture the women’s beauty and Halla Gymnasium, Jeju City, on is so hard to win and so hard to places around the world. His multi- endurance, qualities he recognizes Monday, Nov. 24. defend,” she said after the fight. layered photos simultaneously mix throughout Korean culture. He also Taylor defeated 27-year-old Yana Taylor was one of 20 boxers figh-

Jeju divers have been widely represented in the Bone Spine, Population Ecology, Asian Journal of by the artist’swww.jejuweekly.com artistic and documentary still styles, photographyAlekseevna from Azerbaijan in anda ink drawings with a particular study of the haenyeo. His work has hopes the final collection’s impact is ting for 10 titles across 10 weight creating work that melds art with in its poetic simplicity. "I'm looking unanimous decision from the judges. categories on Monday. An initial 280 photojournalism. for little moments and back stories in Despite raucous support from the fighters of 67 nationalities had been Wanting Harvey to turn his lens to their homes and private lives," he crowd, the Azeri struggled to impose represented at the finals, with seven Jeju’s incredible haenyeo (diving said. herself on Taylor, who was controlled countries finally taking home golds women), Jeju province invited the Raised in Virginia, Harvey began and measured. after the final bouts. American to the island in November. taking photos at 11 years of age, first The woman from Bray has now Russia performed strongly throu- international media, including newspapers, maga- Women’s Studies, and Ecological Economics, have of the divers,Harvey thus spent hasthree weeks with nowdocumenting his family life.shown He was equalled the AIBAat record fornumerous five ghout, and the team walked away galleries been featured several times by National Geographic, Jeju's coastal communities getting soon photographing anything and wins after dominating the sport for a with three golds after wins for shots for a photo book to be publi- everything, including the girls in his decade. She began fighting under her Zinaida Dobrynina (57 k.g.), shed next year, commentary for Continued on page 3 father’s tutelage at age 12 and already Continued on page 4 ₩ 5,000

제주도 유일의 영어 / 중국어 신문 & Tips, Maps, Guides zines, and websites. Examples of newspaper articles published research articles on haenyeo. around the world.광고/번역문의 070-7860-7783 as well as CNN, International Herald Tribune, 제주위클리, 제주주간 Advertizing [email protected] Jeju City Bus T 1~4 include New York Times (2005, 2014), Wall Street Renowned photographer David Alan Harvey Conde Nast, Getty Images, and many more. JejuWeekly-126호-최종.indd 1 14. 11. 28. 오전 11:52 Journal (2010), Los Angeles Times (1989), Wash- (US), a Magnum Photos member since 1997, au- Filmmaker Dahlia Gerstenhaber (Israel) created ington Post (2012), South China Morning Post Art thor of several books, and known for his work on a documentary about Jeju, “Haenyeo Women of the (2013), Fox News Online (2007), Eastday Shanghai Jeju has long identified as an island of artists. The indigenous cultural practices, came to Jeju in 2013 Sea.” Gerstenhaber lived and dived with haenyeo (2011), Vancouver Sun (2010), Jakarta Post (2011), world’s artists have also come to Jeju, often to por- as part of an Arirang Culture “In Frame” series on between 1999 and 2005, and the theme of her film Sun Star (2012), and The Guardian (2014). Maga- tray the island’s iconic diving women. Korean coastal villages. Having focused that episode is the divers’ resilience in the face of death. zine articles on Jeju women divers can be found J.M.G. Le Clezio, a French-Mauritian writer and [EP15C02] largely on Jeju haenyeo, he returned As student filmmakers at Drexel University (US), in Art Monthly (2012), SeaLand Journal (2012), 2008 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, pub- to Jeju by invitation in late 2014 to create a photo- Kevin Sawicki and Alex Igidbashian traveled to Jeju Harper’s (2013), The New Yorker (2015), Intelligent lished a three-part article about the island in GEO graphic study of the diving women, now available where they created “Haenyeo: Women of the Sea” Life [Economist] (2015), CNN Travel (2010), Utne magazine (French edition, March 2009). Le Clezio via Magnum Photos. (2013), an 11-minute documentary short, as their Reader (2012), Luxury Travel (2012), Divernet wrote about both the nature and culture of Jeju, in- Photojournalist Brenda Paik Sunoo (US) pub- graduating project. (2012), Glow (2013), We Jet Set (2011), X-Ray cluding portrayal of the haenyeo. lished “Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the The film was exhibited in 3 countries at 18 film (2011), Korean Quarterly (2015), Go Nomad (2011), Multimedia artist Mikhail Karikis (UK) created Sea,” in 2011. She has presented her work in Cali- festivals, where it was an official selection of 3, final- Worldette (2012), Kuriositas (2011), Travel There a video installation titled “SeaWomen” about Jeju fornia, New York, and throughout Europe. Her ist in 2, and in 7 of the festival it won top awards. It Next (2013), Traveller AU (2011), and the airline haenyeo, focused especially on the sounds of the photography of Jeju divers has been featured in a is listed on IMDB. magazines of Quantas (2009) and Garuda (2012). diving community. The piece includes themes of number of other works. Her overarching theme is A number of other film shorts on Jeju haenyeo International scholarly journals, to include Jour- women-centered work and cultural spaces, and a one of retaining meaning and purpose in later life. have also been produced by videographers from nal of Arts and Culture, Historic Environment, marginalized society rapidly losing its place in the Photographer Douglas MacDonald (Canada) has around the world.

52 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 53 Voice of the Haenyeo Gwideok Village

Myeong-ho KO (b.1931)

When I’m in the water, my body feels free because of its energy. That’s why I’m comfortable in the sea, even though I am very tired when I come out.

Years ago, in my native village, we used to go out by boat. We sang and chanted songs while we rowed at sea. One of the diving risks is spotting abalone or turban shells right before coming up to the surface. Rather than lose a catch, a haenyeo may risk her life by staying down longer than she is capable of holding her breath. One could lose her life from such poor judgment. Some haenyeo have died because of this. We should give up when we have to. I’ve experienced a few close calls myself when I nearly became unconscious. But finally I let the catch go. When I’m in the water, my body feels free because of its energy. That’s why I’m comfortable in the sea, even though I am very tired when I come out.

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo

Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

54 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 55 IUCN World Conservation Congress BPW International Congress

WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2012 2012 WCC- Jeju Agenda 07 BPW International held its triennial congress

WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2012 Unique community, culture of women divers

The world is taking note of the remarkable Jeju haenyeo, and not a moment too soon. The haenyeo of Jeju Island are free- divers who comb the seabed primarily for on Jeju Island in 2014. A highlight of the congress, sea vegetation and shellfish as well as other marine creatures. Over the many centuries in which this female-dominated profession has developed, a uniquely structured community and profound knowledge base of the marine environment have emerged. Today, due to modernized methods of ocean fishing and aquaculture, increased Director, Public Affairs Office of Jeju Special Self-governing Province Director, Fax : +82-64-710-2039 educational and professional options for

/ in both a 3-year leadup period and the actual Jeju women, and most notably, a remarkable decrease in marine product, inter-generational transmission has all

Executive Editor: Executive but ceased and this unique diving community is in danger of extinction. +82-64-710-2114 Should that happen, the loss of the knowledge and skills collectively housed by these indigenous women would be to the world’s detriment.

Phone Number : Phone Number 5-day event, was a focus on the Jeju haenyeo as Haenyeo skills and knowledge Haenyeo, known locally as jamnyeo, jomnyeo, or simply jamsu, dive without benefit of oxygen equipment, though they have used wetsuits since the 1970s. Using Haenyeo dive without benefit of oxygen equipment and remain underwater for up to 2 minutes at depths of up to 20 meters. Photo by Jwa Dong Jin simple tools for harvesting, they dive repeatedly and are able to remain underwater for reportedly up to 2 and has held the top position for nine Haenyeo culture have a distinct set of customs and minutes at depths of up to 20 meters. years to date. This free-diving profession for practices, as well as labor songs, tradi- One of the primary reasons for not using Citing a well-known haenyeo proverb, gathering marine products is far more tional garments for diving, and the indigenous businesswomen. breathing equipment is to limit their Hong shares, “We go to the Otherworld than simply an economic means, unique tools of their trade.

Vice Governor for Economic & Environment of Jeju Special Self-governing Province Province Governor for Economic & Environment of Jeju Special Self-governing Vice diving time and thus harvest, in order not to earn money and return to the earthly however. An entire unique culture They have also been known for their to over-fish the sea. world to save our kids.” developed around it that extends well political involvement, leading the local Editor : Editor They begin diving by early adolescence; She describes her profession as one of beyond the diving itself. independence movement during the through informal apprenticeship and freedom and independence, and Ama, free-divers in a few of Japan’s early 20th century Japanese occupation direct observation, young and less skilled expresses great concern over its dimin- southern islands, have a related profes- of Korea and resisting a military haenyeo are mentored by their elders. ishing numbers and the “whitening” [lack sion, believed by some Jeju scholars to crackdown in 1948 which ultimately Shallow areas along the coastline are of vegetation] of the sea. Citing the have emerged from Jeju divers who resulted in a wide-scale massacre. reserved for shellfish gathering by elderly re-seeding programs that all such historically migrated there for work. They BPW International is the oldest organization of its or frail haenyeo, while the most advanced collectives undertake, limitations on the do not share the same cultural features as Strong Jeju women

Munyeonno 6. Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 690-700, Korea 690-700, Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Jeju-si, Munyeonno 6. divers often travel out to deeper waters by number of diving days, and the monthly Jeju haenyeo. Jeju is known as an “Island of Women,” boat. dives in which garbage is collected Jeju’s deepest spiritual traditions are largely due to the haenyeo profession and Divers and fishers together form village- instead, Hong clearly outlines the sound animistic, in the form of shamanism its economic influence throughout time. based “eochongye” or economic principles of ecological sustainability thought to have been inherited from This, along with other factors such as the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province : Jeju Special Self-Governing Publisher Address : collectives which govern their profession. upon which the profession is based. eastern Siberia several millennia ago. No aforementioned political circumstances Typically led by men, there are never- Presently, there are approximately 100 worshipers are more devout than these and the deaths of many men at sea, theless several female chiefs including such collectives around the coast of Jeju. diving women who place their lives in resulted in a disproportionately high Hong Kyung-ja of Hansu Village in the However, the number of registered danger every time they enter the sea. In female population. island’s northwest region. At 63, Hong haenyeo is less than 5,000, its population fact, a higher-than-usual number of Additionally, Jeju’s core mythology kind, founded in Geneva in 1930 following the 1920 has been diving for more than 50 years, elderly and in swift decline. divers drowned in 2011, according to Suh includes numerous goddesses, typically Sun Sil, a well-known shaman in the portrayed as powerful and independent, northeast region of Jeju. and indeed the island’s creation myth is Suh has served the haenyeo popu- predicated on a giant goddess as lation in the Gujwa district of the island embodied by the central volcano. In the for more than 25 years, as did her world’s origination mythologies, it is Plenary at BPW International Congress. Photo courtesy Ae Duck Im. mother before her. As such, she exceedingly rare for creation to be facilitates the annual “Jamsu-gut” or initiated by a single female figure, Divers’ Rite, which honors the Dragon rendering Jeju yet again unique and god and goddess of the sea for the matrifocal. establishment of its US-based predecessor. The Jeju Haenyeo as a unique marine ecology stewardship safety of the divers and bountiful Today, Jeju people understand better harvest. She also performs the funeral than ever the value of the haenyeo

http://news.jeju.go.kr http://news.jeju.go.kr rituals when a diver drowns, and tends profession — as a form of indigenous to the spiritual and emotional needs of marine stewardship, eco-feminism, her community. collective economics and mutual aid, and The annual Yeongdeung-gut, another overall unique community. Many efforts Jeju haenyeo, matriarchs of the sea such rite which honors a visiting goddess have been undertaken to highlight this Continued on page 7 of sea and wind and is thus relevant to value and to educate and inform, both divers and fishers alike, has been given locally and internationally, regarding UNESCO recognition. these highly unusual women and their NGO has 30,000 members in approximately 100 haenyeo as well as that of an iconic heroine from the pages 4-5 pages 6-9 pages 15 Haenyeo culture also includes prac- keen knowledge of the sea. Environment WCC 2012 Culture tices of caring for its elderly and those In Jeju’s quest to become a “World The life of Jeju who fall ill, contributing to the building Environmental Hub,” the continuance of Jeju duty bound Jeju, environmental Jeju haenyeo, Forest of Life, people is of schools, and generally taking care of the haenyeo profession and culture is a one another in a system of mutual aid. vital component. INSIDE by UNESCO model to the world stewards of the sea Gotjawal set in stone Jeju people understand better than ever the value of the haenyeo profession, as a form of indigenous marine stewardship, eco-feminism, and overall unique community. In addition, the haenyeo communities (By Anne Hilty) countries over 5 continents, and has held consulta- island’s history. The congress program book con- tive status with the United Nations since 1947. The tained articles on both of these topics as well, writ- In 2012, IUCN held its quadrennial World Con- others; and, exhibitions and performances which 2014 congress saw 800 participants from 50+ coun- ten by this author and translated into 4 languages. servation Congress [WCC] on Jeju Island. Gener- included a haenyeo theme were provided. tries, with this writer serving as congress organizer. An evening dining event was held at a haenyeo- ally billed as ‘the environmental olympics’, the Following the IUCN congress, Jeju government The leadup public relations and marketing for the owned restaurant, featuring iconic foods of the Jeju event saw 10,000 participants and brought sent their top WCC organizer, Yang-bo Kim, to Ge- congress included large amounts of information, ar- diving women. A pre-congress tour took 130 par- the world’s conservation experts. Jeju government neva for more than 2 years, that he might work with ticles, essays, and photographs on the theme of Jeju ticipants to the haenyeo school, and a “Strong Jeju submitted five motions for consideration, on topics IUCN headquarters toward the realization of the haenyeo as indigenous businesswomen with a sys- Women” post-congress tour led by this author related to the conservation of local natural resources five Jeju resolutions — including Resolution 82, for tem of collective economics, social enterprise, and incorporated the Haenyeo Museum, Seolmundae — and included one for the safeguarding of the Jeju the preservation of Jeju haenyeo. democratic governance by consensus. The key mes- Women’s Museum including Jeju goddess mythol- haenyeo culture entitled, “Supporting the Sustain- sage to the BPW global membership was, “Bringing ogy and haenyeo history, and a serendipitous ob- ability of Jeju Haenyeo as a Unique Marine Ecology the World’s Power Women to the Island of Strong servation of a large number of haenyeo engaged in Session at World Conservation Congress. Photo courtesy Ae Duck Im. Stewardship“ [WCC-2012-Res-082-EN]. During Women.” their diving work. the two-week event, the provincial government A key emphasis of the event itself was the high- Followup public relations within the BPW mem- sponsored two workshops on the topic of Jeju hae- lighting of the local community. Jeju government bership is ongoing, including the recent hardcopy nyeo; tours including haenyeo museum and other maintained an exhibition booth to focus on the distribution of Jeju Haenyeo, Stewards of the Sea: related sites were provided to congress participants; island’s ‘strong woman’ archetype and its repre- Book I to the current international president of the a glossy newspaper, Dynamic Jeju, was created for sentation by haenyeo, and performances contained organization and key members of its executive com- and distributed at the event, featuring several arti- themes of Jeju including that of the diving women. mittee, as well as wide distribution of its e-Book cles on the topic of Jeju haenyeo by this author and Featured workshops were held on the theme of Jeju format among the global membership.

56 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 57 Voice of the Haenyeo Woljeong Village

Jeong-ja OH (b.1940)

After we collected the miyeok [brown seaweed], we put it in the basket and carried it back home on our backs. We usually collected the seaweed in the spring and continued until the fall.

A long time ago, I followed my grandmother while carrying a bamboo basket with wood to make a fire at the bulteok [firepit]. My taewak [flotation device] was made from a small gourd with a net sack attached. After we collected the miyeok [brown seaweed], we put it in the basket and carried it back home on our backs. We usually collected the seaweed in the spring and continued until the fall. We didn’t dive after that because it was too cold. But now haenyeo can dive all year round thanks to our rubber suits. I’ve never been afraid of the water, even in the deep ocean. I couldn’t have become a haenyeo had I been afraid as a child. Even then, I could dive around eight meters [26 feet] deep and collect seaweed and turban shells. These days, I can dive 10 to 15 meters [33 to 50 feet] deep, and remain underwater for about two minutes, I guess. My skills have improved over the years because I know all about the sea — where and what I can catch. I’ve been diving for [many] years. It’s not dangerous to me. It’s enjoy- able to look around. Sometimes we’ll encounter a school of dolphins. They don’t menace us, but sometimes we feel alarmed. I also enjoy diving for the good physical exercise. Even when I feel sick or fatigued, I feel relief from going into the water. It has healing effects that make you feel comfortable. I love the sea and working in the water for the catch.

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

58 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 59 Presentation in Other Countries

In addition to media and artistic representations of Jeju haenyeo, the diving women have also been official- ly presented in other countries by Jeju representatives. Jeju province is currently enrolled in “Pilot Cities 2014,” an Agenda 21 program of United Cities & Local Governments [UCLG] aimed to have culture included in local government policy as a measure of overall sustainability. Jeju governor Hee-ryoung Won is also the current president of the UCLG Asia-Pacific region. The governor and accompanying officials attended both the 2014 Committee on Culture meeting in Buenos Aires, and the 2015 Culture Summit in Bilbao, giving presen- tations on Jeju’s cultural features which highlighted the haenyeo. In September 2014, the third International Forum of NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO was held Bulgaria under the theme of, “The Role of Youth for the Safeguarding of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heri- tage.” Dr. Aeduk Im, professor of social welfare at Jeju National University, presented on the role of Jeju youth in haenyeo preservation. Intergenerational transmission has been identified as the primary problem regarding the continuance of the diving women’s culture. Notably, Google’s online Cultural Institute, established in 2011, as of late 2014 contains a large amount of resources on the topic of Jeju haenyeo, uploaded by Jeju government and haenyeo museum. This format allows for ongoing global presentation regarding the All in a day’s work. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee women divers.

60 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 61 Voice of the Haenyeo Sagye Village

Jeong-sun CHO (b.1957)

Jeju women have very strong willpower. That’s how I’ve been able to manage diving, farming, and helping my husband run a pension for tourists.

Jeju women have very strong willpower. That’s how I’ve been able to manage diving, farming, and helping my husband run a pension for tourists. We both grew up in Sagye, and we have two sons and one daughter. My mother and mother-in-law were both haenyeo. I’m not sure about my grandmother. When I was young, my family was very poor, so I began diving after I finished elementary school. Even though I was young, I went out to the deep sea with the older and higher-level haenyeo. I could stay underwater for a long time, much longer than most. We don’t use diving equipment because we don’t feel safe with it. We don’t trust that kind of thing.... I’m happier doing haenyeo work than farming. When I’m underwater searching for sea products, it’s fun. I’ve actually never swum in a pool. If I were allowed to, I’d want to go into the sea every day.

Excerpted from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea (2011), by Brenda Paik Sunoo

Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

62 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Voice of the Haenyeo 63 Haenyeo as Native Marine Biologists

In September 2012, more than 10,000 cultural matrix. people descended on Jeju for what is Dr. Earle’s primary suggestion was that typically billed as the ‘environmental the Jeju haenyeo, rather than continue olympics’: the quadrennial World to collect sea creatures (as Dr. Earle is Conservation Congress [WCC] of the singularly opposed to and has made it her International Union for Conservation of life’s work to resist the fishing of the sea), Nature [IUCN], a consortium of 1200 could and in fact should be considered governments and 11,000 volunteer ‘indigenous marine biologists’ supported specialists from 160 countries. Leading up by the local and national governments. to this event, Jeju provincial government While the majority of haenyeo have no submitted 5 motions for consideration on more than a primary school education, it is local conservation matters, including the nevertheless their inherent knowledge of the safeguarding of Jeju haenyeo culture. sea that surrounds Jeju Island — its marine The motion, “Supporting the Sustaina- life both flora and fauna, topography, tide bility of Jeju Haenyeo as a Unique Marine and seasonal cycles, and changes over time Ecology Stewardship,” was voted into due to climate fluctuations but also perhaps resolution and these same consortium to overfishing — which is their highest members became duty-bound to contribute value. For many, they have been diving to the preservation of Jeju women divers’ regularly for several decades, and are thus Photo by Sung-Eun Lee. culture. Of particular importance was the storehouses of knowledge that no one else wording of the resolution, which emphasized possesses in the same manner. haenyeo as their informants, a great deal of Study of the Preservation and Restoration of many environmentally sustainable practices This is an idea worthy of further new research could be developed, funded Cultural Property [ICCROM] on the cultural of the haenyeo as well as their unique exploration. It is a natural collaboration not only by government but also by research conservation front, would likely be very knowledge of the marine environment. between Jeju National University and the grants and environmental as well as cultural interested. One of the specialists to attend the WCC local haenyeo population, one which the sources of funding. The United Nations, In this manner, the haenyeo work is was Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned marine Jeju Sea Grant Center could oversee. The including UNESCO and also UN Women, reframed and elevated, becoming highly biologist and National Geographic’s haenyeo contain a wealth of knowledge have emphasized the value of indigenous relevant to the 21st century, no longer explorer-in-residence for more than 20 gathered over a very long period of time, wisdom for some years, and would no doubt contributing to overfishing of the local years. Having read articles concerning and can be taught basic data collection be eager to lend their support to such an sea, and attractive once more to the young the Jeju haenyeo written by this author, techniques. The university faculty and endeavor. Other organizations, including generation as a unique type of marine Dr. Earle requested a meeting, and students possess knowledge and skill in not only the IUCN consortium on the biologist. This could well prove to be the we discussed at length the options for research methodology as well as the skills environmental conservation side but also, adaptation necessary for the preservation preserving this traditional practice in its necessary for academic publication. With for example, International Centre for the of this valuable cultural practice.

64 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea II. Global Awareness of Haenyeo 65

III. Social Implications

Social implications of the haenyeo culture on deserving of its self-appointed title as ‘Island of meetings, demonstrations, protest marches, Jeju Island are enormous — and, bi-directional. Women’. Neither matriarchal nor matrilineal, documents to the governor, protest songs, and The divers and their profession have greatly the island nevertheless has maintained a strong hundreds of participants, many of whom were influenced the socio-economic development women’s culture, with the diving women as a jailed — and achieved success. of the island over time, and the cultural milieu powerful example. The trauma of the mid-20th century, with of the island as a whole has in turn strongly As with many small islands, Jeju functioned its subsequent and ongoing healing process, influenced the lives and profession of these on a system of mutual aid still seen in its represents another level of social implication. remarkable women. As well, the haenyeo have villages today, with remnants in its cities. The The haenyeo, along with other women of the provided for and at times been the primary system of collective economics practiced by the island, can be perceived as doubly traumatized economic driver of their communities, in a haenyeo, with its shared profits and investment for reasons earlier discussed. As many of those system of mutual aid and social enterprise, in the community, represents indigenous social in the haenyeo population are now in their building schools and community centers with enterprise. The migratory diving work from elder years, they would have been children or their profits; at this time of their decline, it late 19th through mid-20th century had far- young adults at that time and now represent an is the surrounding community that works reaching social impact; the diving practices at-risk population for delayed post-traumatic diligently to care for them and preserve were widely disseminated including several response. their way of life to the degree possible. Once other countries, women truly became the The women divers of Jeju have morphed considered among the lowest stratum of society economic driver of the island in this lucrative from the lowest societal rung to an elevated despite their economic prowess, they are now period, and the Jeju households, in direct iconic status. The people of Jeju, and indeed reconsidered as archetypal mothers, as ‘Strong opposition to those of the mainland and indeed of Korea as a whole, once rejected these Jeju Women’, and as perhaps the most iconic the majority of traditional societies, often saw women as uneducated and unsophisticated The workplace. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee. of the island’s cultural features. absent mothers and children reared by their manual laborers, as women who acted like Jeju Island has long been considered fathers. men, often the head of household with loud intergenerational transmission and aging matrifocal as well as egalitarian. With a strong The Resistance Movement sparked by the and indecorous manner. Recognition is now population, is in serious decline. Many efforts goddess-oriented core mythology and an haenyeo in response to what they perceived growing of the divers’ place in history, and their to recognize and memorialize as well as care for animistic belief system that includes a view of as unfair practices by the Japanese colonizers social value of both yesterday and today. the haenyeo have been initiated by local and the island’s volcanic topography as feminine, is now considered one of Korea’s earliest Once the economic support of the island, national government and civic groups, while a cultural orientation distinct from the Korean independence initiatives. The divers of Hado who by their diving work bought their homes others endeavor to determine viable methods mainland’s Confucianism with its pronounced and Sehwa, joined by those from many and sent their children to university, many for helping them preserve their way of life. gender roles, and structures such as the bulteok surrounding communities, organized a detailed are now in need of care and support. The This change in social attitude represents representing women’s cultural spaces, it is and empowered endeavor including multiple profession as a whole, with its cessation of perhaps the greatest social implication of all.

66 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea III. Social Implications 67 Conclusion

It is not only the history and professional skills of the Jeju haenyeo that are so Theirs is an intangible cultural heritage for which we must remarkable; the rich cultural milieu in which their profession is situated, with go to great lengths to preserve. its goddess mythology and shamanism, its songs and foods and dialect, and so much more, has sustained these women throughout time and proves endlessly fascinating to observers. This is a culture, a living tradition, worth saving. While their profession is difficult and dangerous, while it represents the kind of hard manual labor that we hope women, and indeed all humanity, can move away from in the future, the disappearance of their knowledge and skills, as well as this complex heritage, would represent a very great loss to all. Theirs is an intangible cultural heritage for which we must go to great lengths to preserve. In order to do so, however, not only must the young take up this profession once more, though it is a critical factor; their profession must also be reframed in such a way as to render it relevant in this high-tech, ultra-modern 21st century. In so doing, however, we would do well to retain as much of their cultural underpinnings as possible. Shamanist beliefs and observances can be understood and respected as another, indeed one of the oldest, of the world’s religions; mythology is to be retained not only as the stories of our past, but the archetypes of our cultural psyche. Songs, dialect, and foods can all be celebrated and continued indefinitely — and longterm effects of cultural trauma can finally and fully heal. The profession as such is unlikely to remain relevant in modern times, with too many variables against it. However, it can be reorganized into a new and exceptionally viable profession, one which is highly relevant to this and even future ages, one which is needed and greatly respected — such as the ‘indigenous marine biologist’ model as discussed, with cultural features intact. This is the future that can be envisioned for the Jeju haenyeo, the way for- ward for such an iconic, valuable, and longstanding cultural heritage of humanity. May it be so. Photo by Sung-Eun Lee.

68 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Conclusion 69 Afterword Jeju Haenyeo: Stewards of the Sea, Book I

Jeju Haenyeo: Stewards of the Sea Don’t miss Book I of this 2-volume series! sion, with corresponding preservation efforts. (Book I) Haenyeo Profession: Introduction Haenyeo Decline & Preservation: [excerpted from Book I] Introduction [excerpted from Book I] Table of Contents Jeju haenyeo are free-divers with a centuries- The number of registered divers has been Foreword by Professor Byung-gul Lee, Director of Jeju Sea Grant Center, Jeju National University old tradition of mining the seabed for marine in a steep decline for the past several decades, products. They have never used any supple- now rendering this a population that is aging Acknowledgments mental breathing equipment, unlike some oth- out. Recognizing this phenomenon and the Preface: Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO Introduction er diving societies, and have built an elaborate value of this unique traditional community, set of cultural practices around their profes- local government and civic organizations have I. Haenyeo Profession sion. While early records are sparse and there implemented a number of preservation efforts. - Historical Overview - Migratory Diving Work is little to indicate men’s role in this work, for There are presently 4,507 active divers reg- - Resistance Movement - Skills and Levels the past few centuries at least, it has been solely istered, with another 5,380 in retirement; this - Learning Methods the work of women. figure represents a steady decline in the diver - Tools, Costume, and Sumbisori - Fishing Collective The haenyeo, their work long disparaged as population since the late 1960s. Commonly - Diving Rules & Restrictions - Specially Designated Diving Areas lowly, uneducated, dangerous, and perhaps ir- cited factors in the decline of Jeju haenyeo in-

Box Insets: relevant in these modern times, and with their clude improved educational and professional The Science of Haenyeo numbers in continued decline, have enjoyed an opportunities for females, a tourism-driven Voice of the Haenyeo (x3) increasing surge in public interest (if not actual economy, industrialization of agro-marine la- II. Haenyeo Decline and Preservation recruitment) since the 1980s, now at an all- bor, and effects of climate change on marine - Statistics since 1960s - Reasons for Decline time high. While local people still do not want resources. There are additional factors for con- - Memorialization and Recognition - Preservation Efforts and Options their own family members to join the profes- sideration, which are less often cited.... - Changing Societal Attitudes sion, nevertheless the greater community now Most recently, one can hear the diving Box Insets: heralds their work and their place in the his- women referred to as skilled, unique, ath- Global Awareness: Introduction (Excerpt, Book II) Haenyeo Then & Now tory of this island. External interest can also be letic, legendary, courageous, and a treasure. Voice of the Haenyeo (x3) seen, which has undoubtedly served to further A certain pride is on the rise among Jeju Conclusion Afterword: Jeju Haenyeo: Stewards of the Sea, Book II increase their value in the minds of both the people, that while they might not want their About the Author island and mainland populace. There is also daughters, wives, mothers or themselves to alarm over the decline in numbers, aging popu- be haenyeo, nevertheless they can be proud lation, and imminent loss of this iconic profes- of these women.

70 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Afterword 71 Appendix

Resolution 82, International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] Supporting Indigenous Conservation Territories lennium Development Goals include foci of envi- Passed at World Conservation Congress [WCC] and other Indigenous Peoples’ and Community ronmental sustainability, gender equality and global Held September 2012 on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea Conserved Areas, Resolution 4.052 Implementing poverty elimination, and that the UN has a primary the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of focus on Rural Women’s Empowerment, which was Final Text: RECOGNIZING the uniqueness of their marine Indigenous Peoples, and seeking specific actions from highlighted at the 56th Commission on the Status of WCC-2012-Res-082-EN stewardship and the contribution they have made to the Director General and other parties on Resolution Women (New York, 2012); Supporting the sustainability of Jeju the conservation of local marine resources for cen- Haenyeo as a unique marine ecology turies though sustainable harvesting with minimal 4.055 Integrating culture and cultural diversity into

stewardship acknowledgment to date on the global stage; IUCN’s policy and Programme, Resolution 4.056 The World Conservation Congress, at its session in Jeju, Republic of Korea, 6–15 Rights-based approaches to conservation, Resolution September 2012: CONSIDERING that for centuries the Haenyeo CONCERNED that their population has dramati- 4.058 Conservation and poverty reduction, and free-divers in Jeju Island, Korea, an almost exclu- cally decreased from a registered 23,081 in 1965 most notably, Resolution 4.067 Advancing island 1. URGES all IUCN Members, partners and organi- sively female group, have pursued a profession of (21.2% of the total female population in Jeju Island) controlled marine harvesting in a system of collab- to 4,995 in 2010 (2.1% of the total female popula- conservation and sustainable livelihoods; zations of the conservation community at large to orative economic activity and have maintained their tion), and that the majority (97.5%) of these divers acknowledge and investigate the history, scientific profession; are now over 50 years of age, indicating that inter- RECOGNIZING that IUCN supports the principles importance, present condition and unique cultural generational transmission has essentially dimin- expressed in the United Nations Educational, Scien- value of Jeju Haenyeo, including in the Korean FURTHER CONSIDERING that their skills, tools, ished; tific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Biodi- peninsula, in order to assist in the development of labour songs, shamanistic belief system, practice of collective economic activity, community reinvest- ALARMED that the coastal pollution in conjunction versity and Climate Change Programme; comprehensive plans for their preservation; and ment, apprenticeship and mutual aid, and above with the aquaculture industry has led to reduced all, their unparalleled knowledge of marine ecology yields and decreased economic prospects for this NOTING that Jeju Island is a unique site in the 2. REQUESTS IUCN Members and partners to en- represent a unique body of indigenous wisdom and female workforce, and that these and other envi- world to have received UNESCO’s designation in all dorse, support, participate in, and advocate the de- both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and ronmental and social changes brought about by of the three Natural Science categories: Biosphere velopment of policies and practices which will help render them “traditional wisdom carriers”; modern society have negatively impacted upon the Jeju Haenyeo community to such a degree that this Reserve, Natural World Heritage site, and Global to protect and enhance the aforementioned com- NOTING that their practices include such environ- traditional culture of living sustainably in harmony Geopark, and that Jeju Special Self-Governing munity, at local, regional and central government mental sustainability as reseeding the ocean’s shell- with nature is imminently facing extinction; Province of Korea has an established endeavour to levels in Korea as well as internationally. fish population, controlling their harvest by diving further achieve UNESCO’s recognition for the Jeju without breathing apparatus and limiting the days CONSIDERING and building upon a number Haenyeo, as well as multiple local efforts for their State and agency Members of the United States and hours that they dive, and dedicating specific of related resolutions adopted at the 4th IUCN dives each month to cleaning the seabed of refuse, World Conservation Congress (Barcelona, 2008) role in preservation; and abstained during the vote on this Motion for reasons rendering them a 21st century conservation model which focused on the rights and sustainability of given in the US General Statement on the IUCN of benign human cohabitation with nature; indigenous peoples, including Resolution 4.049 ACKNOWLEDGING that the United Nations Mil- Resolutions Process.

72 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea Appendix 73 About the Author About the Photographers

Anne Hilty, PhD, is a cultural health In the 2012 World Conservation Con- psychologist from New York. She has gress (IUCN) held on Jeju Island, Dr. Hilty lived primarily in South Korea since early helped to write the motion for support 2005 and on Jeju Island since 2010, now of Jeju Haenyeo as indigenous stewards dividing her time between Jeju and Hong of the marine environment, which was Kong. She is the director of EastWest passed into resolution. Her article on Jeju Psyche Ltd., a global consulting firm based haenyeo was featured in a special WCC

in Hong Kong. edition of Dynamic Jeju, distributed to the Book by photojournalist Brenda Paik Sunoo. (2011) Dr. Hilty has written and presented 10,000 global environmental experts in extensively on the topic of Jeju haenyeo, attendance. At that congress, she also met the shamanism that represents their core at length with renowned oceanographer belief system, and Jeju Island culture Dr. Sylvia Earle, to discuss the profession overall. She is the author of Jeju Island: and plight of the haenyeo. Additionally, Reaching to the Core of Beauty (2011), Dr. Hilty served as Congress Organizer and more than 200 newspaper and maga- for the triennial congress of Business and zine articles. She has been designated as Professional Women International, held a Foreign Ambassador for Jeju Haenyeo on Jeju Island in May of 2014, at which (2011) and as Honorary Ambassador for Jeju haenyeo were prominently featured Jeju Island (2014). both by government as indigenous businesswomen. She con- appointment, and is a graduate of the Jeju tinues to work for the honoring and pres- Haenyeo Summer School (2012). ervation of Jeju haenyeo. Book by photographer Sung-Eun Lee. (2007)

74 Jeju Haenyeo : Stewards of the Sea About the Author / About the Photographers 75 Book Ⅱ

Publication Jeju Sea Grant Center TEL. 064-754-3494 E-mail. [email protected] www.jejusg.or.kr Byung-Gul Lee, Director of Jeju Sea Grant Center, Jeju National University Planning & Design Jung Hee Song Publisher of The Jeju Weekly TEL. 064-724-7776 www.jejuweekly.com Author Anne Hility Photos Brenda Paik Sunoo Sung-Eun Lee Date of Issue May 2015

해녀책자-표지-인쇄.pdf 1 15. 1. 28. 오후 8:26

발행 제주씨그랜트센터 TEL. 064-754-3494 E-mail. [email protected] 이병걸 제주대학교, 제주씨그랜트 센터장 www.jejusg.or.kr 기획 및 디자인 송정희 제주위클리 TEL. 064-724-7776 www.jejuweekly.com 글 Anne Hility 사진 Brenda Paik Sunoo 이성은 Book Ⅱ 발행일 2015년 5월

Available as free e-book download at

Book Ⅱ Book Ⅱ www.jejusg.or.kr www.jejuweekly.com www.eastwestpsyche.com Book Ⅱ

Book Ⅱ Book Ⅱ

해녀책자2-표지-최종.indd 1 2015. 5. 12. 오후 2:26

Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO Voice of the Haenyeo : Gwideok Village 54 12 Introduction IUCN World Conservation Congress 56 BPW International Congress 57 14 I

Jeju Haenyeo and UNESCO Voice of the Haenyeo : Gwideok Village 54 12 Introduction IUCN World Conservation Congress 56 BPW International Congress 57 14 I