This afternoon huffing and puffing while climbing Seongsan ilchulbong aka “Sunrise Park”, wearing not-at-all-appropriate hiking red pants and a pink jacket, I saw Haenyeo. Haenyeo, known as “sea women” in the Korean language, are famous female divers in Jeju island, Korea. To be completely honest, I had never heard about Haenyeo before, and at first, seeing it from far away, I thought they were men in wet suits. And I wondered why people were so excited and gathered around some divers.
Forgive my ignorant for not learning about Haenyeo before coming to Jeju. Apparently, they are an important part of Jeju tradition and Korean culture. I later learned that these women dive without any breathing gear and can hold their breath in the cold deep sea for much longer to be able to catch seafood – and they are not young. Wow! What a cultural phenomenon. I consider myself lucky to be able to see them in person.
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