The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Song Joong-ki marries British woman, expects baby

  • 3

    Suicidal pedestrian saved over Han River bridge

  • 5

    Kim Jung-hyun returns to small screen with 'Kokdu: Season of Deity'

  • 7

    Youth, foreign drug offenders increase threefold in 5 years

  • 9

    NK rejects alleged arms trading with Russia, warns of 'undesirable result'

  • 11

    'Someday or One Day' cast says film spin-off has new plot

  • 13

    Plum trees, pheasants and promises of old Korea

  • 15

    Base taxi fare to rise by 1,000 won to 4,800 won next month

  • 17

    3 dead, 4 hurt in upmarket Los Angeles neighborhood

  • 19

    NATO chief calls for stronger security ties with S. Korea to counter China

  • 2

    Japanese teen romance film attracts 1 mil. Korean viewers for 1st time in 21 yrs

  • 4

    Korea to lift indoor mask mandate Monday

  • 6

    US four-star general warns of war with China in 2025

  • 8

    INTERVIEWBusan has potential to be world-class city, says mayor

  • 10

    Samsung to introduce low-carbon diet for employees to help tackle climate change

  • 12

    Seoul International School celebrates 50th anniversary

  • 14

    K-pop releases for February

  • 16

    Main opposition leader faces pressure to resign in case of indictment

  • 18

    S. Korea mistakenly fires machine gun near border with N. Korea

  • 20

    Bank operating hours return to normal amid union opposition

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Tue, January 31, 2023 | 01:08
Photo News
Haenyeo with big grins [PHOTOS]
Posted : 2021-12-10 07:45
Updated : 2021-12-10 16:17
Choi Won-suk
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon

By Kang Hyun-kyung

"When you discover abalone while diving down into the sea, go for it. But if you see it while swimming up to the water's surface, don't even think about it."

This is a common safety tip among haenyeo, or the women divers of Jeju Island. Depending on each diver's capacity, these women hold their breath for a minute or so while gathering shellfish under the sea. Around the time they ascend to the water's surface, they have almost reached their physical limit. So if they are distracted by a small gain on their way to the surface, they could lose much more -- their life.

Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
A woman diver swims up to the water's surface with an octopus in hand. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon

Each time they descend beneath the waves, they risk their lives.

This potentially fatal nature of their profession makes the haenyeo stay alert at all times while working. They rarely open their hearts to strangers. A haenyeo with a big smile on her face is a rare scene to see in real life or a photograph.

Documentary photographer Yang Jong-hoon's images of haenyeo are rare, partly because he captured these women with innocent smiles.

Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon

His photography received attention as this year marks the fifth anniversary of the haenyeo being inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The haenyeo, who juggle two to three other jobs in order to make a living, feel at home when they work with the Jeju-born photographer. They are not distracted by his camera, and simply go about their job as if nobody's watching.

Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon

As a Jeju native, Yang came to develop his own skills to make the women feel at home during his photo shoots. Before taking photographs, he converses with the women using in the Jeju dialect. He wants to fathom what's deep in their hearts. The women gradually open up to the photographer, greeting him and asking if there's anything they can do for him.

The haenyeo are women who while keeping up their tough exterior still hold soft hearts on the inside.

Diving for family: A woman diver lugs a bag of shellfish she gathered from the seabed. She has shouldered the burden of being a breadwinner to support her family. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
Haenyeo Kang Myung-soon poses on horseback. Kang, who began horseback riding in her childhood, says she enjoys interacting with horses. Courtesy of Yang Jong-hoon
Emailwschoi@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1[ANALYSIS] Pandemic awakens demand for data-driven automation ANALYSISPandemic awakens demand for data-driven automation
2Koreans reluctant to unmask on first day of eased indoor mask rule Koreans reluctant to unmask on first day of eased indoor mask rule
3Busan seeks to take lead in expo race after BIE's April visit Busan seeks to take lead in expo race after BIE's April visit
4Over 76% of South Koreans support development of nuclear weaponsOver 76% of South Koreans support development of nuclear weapons
5Retailers seek to bolster beauty product sales as lifting of mask mandate approaches Retailers seek to bolster beauty product sales as lifting of mask mandate approaches
6Biohealth geared for growth Biohealth geared for growth
7Stock-leveraged investments rise again amid bullish KOSPI Stock-leveraged investments rise again amid bullish KOSPI
8Korea-US defense talks likely to bring up extended deterrence Korea-US defense talks likely to bring up extended deterrence
9NK slams NATO chief's Seoul visit as 'prelude to war'NK slams NATO chief's Seoul visit as 'prelude to war'
10Seoul mayor accuses liberals of leading nation in wrong direction Seoul mayor accuses liberals of leading nation in wrong direction
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Song Joong-ki marries British woman, expects babySong Joong-ki marries British woman, expects baby
2Kim Jung-hyun returns to small screen with 'Kokdu: Season of Deity' Kim Jung-hyun returns to small screen with 'Kokdu: Season of Deity'
3'Someday or One Day' cast says film spin-off has new plot 'Someday or One Day' cast says film spin-off has new plot
4K-pop releases for February K-pop releases for February
5Itaewon music fest brings love to the healing process Itaewon music fest brings love to the healing process
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group