We arrive at the Haenyeo village but it is neither rural nor rustic.
Over twenty ships are anchored in the bay, tower blocks of apartments hug the shore. Yet in spite of that, here the women continue the 1500-year-old tradition of haenyeo, which literally means ‘sea women’ and refers to the lady divers who originated from the island of Jeju.
In 3mm thick wetsuits and large oval masks they dive in waters of about ten degrees for abalone, sea cucumber, sea urchin and clams. They dive to depths of 15 metres for up to two minutes, foraging with a metal pick.
They surface and deposit what they have harvested in a net attached to an orange buoy. When their nets are full – which could mean up to five hours in the water – they return to shore and in spite of their diminutive stature, they haul their heavy loads up the rocks to their unassuming restaurant run as a cooperative.
Within minutes of squeezing out of their wetsuits the divers are in their pinnies and serving in the restaurant. They tease and mock each other for not remembering the menu. Playful banter and laughter.
A seafood platter of abalone, sea cucumber (ginseng of the sea), sea urchin, shellfish, clams and seaweed is placed in front of us. Every bite is a textural mouthful. Slimy then tough, between chopsticks reaching for onion and green chilli. The crunch of abalone, the soft squishiness of sea squirt. The more familiar taste of porridge, albeit with abalone – porridge is a way of eating rice which is a must in Korean cuisine.
Sat on plastic chairs and stools we get into conversation with Jeong Ok Sun. Her smiling eyes and pink pinny belies her inner strength.
I dive in with several questions and in so doing have to navigate the tightrope of Korean convention and etiquette. She is second generation from Jeju Island. When she was young, she started working in a nearby factory, but the pay was not good. She saw and learned from divers and became interested in haenyeo. Payment was good and she has never had any regrets. She has been diving for over 50 years. She is now over seventy and wants to continue diving for many years to come. She is the youngest haenyeo here – there are ladies who are 90 and still diving.
“How do you become a haenyeo?”
“It is not easy. You have to do much training (a two-year internship) and have to be accepted.” It is a strong community that requires lifelong commitment and loyalty.
“Do you only dive at certain times of the year?”
“All year round but not when there is a typhoon.”
“What makes a good haenyeo?”
“Haenyeo must be strong. Needs greediness and also patience to control the greediness.” It’s for that reason that the divers don’t use oxygen.
“Do you want your children to become divers?”
“No,” was her short answer. She doesn’t want them to become divers due to climate change bleaching the sea floor and the return not being so good. He daughter has just got married and her son is a baseball player.
She adds, “The harvest of the sea is limited and soon there won’t be much left.”
She then uses a Korean word, Asie-weo (Ash-war), that Pedal has difficulty translating. Not for his lack of English or understanding but that there is no equivalent in English. It loosely translates as, “I will miss it”.
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