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SOUTH KOREA 2025. Jeju Haenyeo Fisheries System

2 July, 2025, Jeju, South Korea. Ho-ah Kim, a South Korean haenyeo, or sea woman, have just exited the waters by the stairs in the background while her net was being lifted onto the pier after harvesting seongge - sea urchin - in the shallow waters near the shores of Gwideok, west of Jeju City.
Most co-ops don’t have a crane but it’s a welcome addition as this group has to navigate a steep set of rock stairs to get in and out of the water and also, sometimes a haenyeo can harvest more than 50kg of sea urchin in a day.
The haenyeo work in cooperatives and follow the tide schedule. So, usually you will see them all go into the water at the same time and come back to shore as a group, too though this group staggered their arrival a bit such as not to have to wait in line at the crane.

Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/David Hogsholt. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.

07/02/2025

Country or Territory Republic of Korea

File size 14.04 MB

Unique ID UF21AD8

Editorial use only. Photo credit must be given. For further information contact: Photo-Library@fao.org

Background Information The haenyeo have been harvesting these waters for seafood for hundreds of years and until a few decades ago, 30,000 women would take to the sea almost daily. Now, the Haenyeo hardly number 5000 and more than two-thirds are over 60 years old, many are in their 80s.
Until recently it was believed that the culture would die out as very few of the haenyeos’ daughters were taking up the craft. But there’s now a real effort on keeping the ways of the Haenyeo alive. Two haenyeo schools have opened with the goal of preparing women from non-haenyeo families for a live in the trade.
Today, haenyeo are recognized as one of Jeju Island’s most important cultural assets—a significant shift in perception that has taken place over the past 20 years. Once seen as a fading or undervalued tradition, the haenyeo have gradually gained national and international recognition for their resilience, skill, and cultural importance. In acknowledgment of their unique role in the island’s heritage, the Korean government supports them by subsidizing their equipment, granting them exclusive rights to sell freshly harvested seafood. They also receive health care and pension benefits. In 2016, UNESCO included the haenyeo tradition on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, bringing it international recognition.