[Visual History of Korea] Jeju haenyeo, an extreme job putting fresh seafood on our tables

 

 

 

 

 

On Jeju, Korea’s largest island, it’s common for women to wear pants in the family. For a long time, the Jeju women, many of whom are primary income earners for their households, are literally responsible for putting seafood on our tables.

Jeju haenyeo, which roughly translates to “women of the sea,” is free-diving seafood gatherers who can hold their breaths for long periods as they harvest from the sea floor.

“They used to call us ‘jomnyeo’ which means diving woman in the Jeju dialect,” said Koh Bok-im, 73, a Jeju native who has been working as a Jeju haenyeo since the age of 18, following her mother and grandmother in the tradition of muljil, or diving for seafood.

“When I first started back in the day, abalones were very common but they are rare now. Nowadays, I typically harvest about 30 kg of sea snails called ‘sora,’ which we can catch from November through April,” she said.
“Sea cucumber season is during the months of February and March when the weather is cold. On a lucky day, I caught up to five octopuses in one day. But haenyeo don’t usually get to enjoy our harvest as we have to sell them for cash to raise and educate our kids,” said Koh, who has raised her five children by working in the sea.

Working as a haenyeo is indeed an extreme job.
“I dived during all of my five pregnancies. On the day I delivered my third child, my water broke during muljil and I just ｄropped everything and rushed home to deliver my boy,” said Koh, who had home births for all five with the help of her late husband’s aunt.

“When diving for seafood, my dive typically lasts about three minutes. I look for my target on my way down and usually catch something before I come up for air, but there are times when I come up for air empty handed,” said Koh.

“You need a friend when you‘re working in the water. We look out for each other,” said Koh. 

 

Words in the story

export- v  to carry away; remove; to carry or send (something such s a commodity) to some other place (such as another country)

harvest- n  the season when crops are gathered from the fields or the activity of gathering crops

rare- adj  seldom occurring or found; uncommon; marked by unusual quality, merit, or appeal: distinctive 

extreme- adj existing in a very high degree; going to great or exaggerated lengths:Radical; exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected

abalones- n any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge

 

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http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220126001021&np=1&mp=1