Sustaining An Ancient Legacy

For more than 2,000 years, an incredible culture that combines freediving with the sustainable harvesting of marine life has been kept alive by women in Korea

- Jae-Yeon Kim

THERE IS A WRITTEN RECORD

from the 6th century that tells of women who would make their living by diving, naked, into the ocean to collect seaweed and shellfish with a small sickle. History calls them the “Jam-Nyeo”, meaning, “diving women” or “Hae-Nyeo” meaning “sea women”. This tradition still exists today.

LEARNING ABOUT A RICH TRADITION

The essential reason that this seemingly “primitive occupation” has persisted for more than 2,000 years is that it is centred around a unique culture. This culture has played an important role, not only in the lives of these women, but also in history.

Most people think that the Hae-Nyeo are just divers who collect seaweed and shellfish to make money, but they don’t understand the culture. I also didn’t understand it properly, even though my grandmother, my aunt and my mother were all Hae-Nyeo in their lifetime.

I decided to work as Hae-Nyeo not for the money, but because of my affection for the spirit of Hae-Nyeo culture. Yet still it wasn’t until I decided to pursue this career that I discovered the considerate behaviour and fair competition that coexist together beautifully in a system which is all their own.

GUIDED BY NATURE

The Hae-Nyeo regard the ocean as their home and as a valuable asset at the same time. Every Hae-Nyeo thinks carefully about the ocean environment and makes as much effort as possible to preserve the marine ecosystem.