GLOBETROTTING
JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
JANUARY 2013
•
ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER OUMANSKI
19
INSIDE A LAVA-ROCK BUILDING
on the southern coast
of Jeju Island, a dozen giddy, middle-aged mermaids sit
hunched over, weaving silver tinsel into an old fishing
net. One sports a glittery camisole. Another wears a
mask of white makeup to conceal her sun-bronzed skin.
These are the famously tough
haenyo
,
female shellfish
divers who have plied the waters
around this volcanic island for more
than two centuries. Today the
so-called mermaids of Jeju
are dolling themselves up to
sing at the
haenyo
festival
—
an annual celebration of
their poise and persever-
ance—in the shadows of
Sunrise Peak.
The women’s songs, as one
might expect, concern all things
maritime, including the hardships associ-
ated with their occupation. Kang Sun-ja, 61,
has been free-diving since she was 15, and spends
at least two weeks every month prying conch, abalone
and sea cucumbers from rocks 15 feet deep in the frigid
waters off the village of Gangjeong. She wears a wet suit
and mask, but no snorkel or scuba gear.
Although the
haenyo
play an important role in the
local culture, their numbers are on the decline: from
30,000
in the 1960s to some 5,000 today. In Kang’s
cooperative, the youngest diver is 51 and the eldest 82.
The tradition could vanish in 30 years.
None of this seems to faze Kang, though, who says she
has no plans to retire. “As long as I can dive, I will dive,”
she says sternly, before sneaking off to find her lipstick.
SIREN SONGS
The legendary mermaids of Jeju
prepare to put on a show
BY BRENDAN BORRELL
