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57 BC
668 AD
1392-1897
XIXth Century
1895
1910-1945
1948
1970
2016
2017
The Haenyeo History
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No one knows exactly when the women of Jeju started diving in the ocean. Some sources state that the people of Jeju provided pearls to the king before the Three Kingdoms period of Korea (57 BC - 668 AD). The Haenyeo would therefore have appeared during this period.
The Haenyeo are mentioned in the literature of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). During this period, there was a gender division of fishing labour : men fished for abalone while women collected seaweed.
From the 19th century onwards, only women continued to fall. One of the reasons for this was the taxes imposed on men, making their work unprofitable.
In 1895, Japanese and Korean merchants began hiring Haenyeo. From then on, the Haenyeo from Jeju travelled to the Korean mainland, Japan and Russia to fish.
The word "Haenyeo" began to be used in Jeju during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945). Prior to that, female divers were called "Jamnyeo". Under the Japanese influence, the activity developed considerably. Indeed, the Japanese government was encouraging the increase of seafood harvesting and the number of Haenyeo increased in Jeju Island.
In 1948, an uprising began in Jeju. The korean police violently repressed the inhabitants with the aim of eradicating communism on the island. This repression, which claimed tens of thousands of victims, lasted until 1954. While many men died in battle and others were imprisoned, the women divers played an important role in maintaining the island's economy.
The number of Haenyeo began to decline in the 1970s. Many women divers sent their daughters to school to learn a less strenuous trade.
The tourism industry develops on Jeju island and allows the new generation to access new jobs.
In 2016, the Haenyeo culture was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In 2017, there are only 4,300 left and many experts believe that this will be the last generation as the island's young people move to the big cities. In addition, pollution is gradually destroying the workplaces of the female divers. There are only 67 Haenyeo under the age of 50 left in Jeju.