🤝 Haenyeo Community & Female Solidarity — Jeju’s Sisterhood Beneath the Waves
In Jeju Island, the Haenyeo (women divers) have created more than a livelihood — they’ve built a sisterhood bound by the ocean. Their dives are not solitary acts but shared experiences of trust, resilience, and respect. Each group of Haenyeo forms a self-governing community, balancing personal independence with collective responsibility. Together, they represent a powerful model of female solidarity that has guided Jeju’s cultural identity for centuries.
1️⃣ Collective Labor — Working Together for Survival
Haenyeo culture is built upon the principle of “Muljil-eun Hana” (물질은 하나) — “Diving as One.” Women dive in groups, watching over each other’s safety in unpredictable seas. When one surfaces, others check her breathing, share harvests, and warn of changing tides. This cooperative system not only prevents accidents but reinforces emotional bonds. Their unity reflects a traditional Korean value — “jeong”, a deep affection born from shared hardship. Through teamwork, Haenyeo transformed danger into strength and solitude into solidarity.
- 👩👩👧 Typical group size: 5–10 divers
- 🪸 Role rotation: Lookouts, harvesters, safety watchers
- 🌊 Dive communication: Whistles, hand gestures, and “Sumbisori” calls
2️⃣ Economic Independence & Women’s Leadership
For centuries, Haenyeo were the primary earners of Jeju households. While men worked the fields or went fishing far from shore, women’s dives sustained families and villages. This reversed the gender norm in traditional Korean society, creating a rare female-led economy. Haenyeo organized cooperatives known as “Bulteok” — open stone shelters where divers rested, discussed earnings, and made communal decisions. These gatherings became the foundation of Jeju’s matriarchal micro-society, where leadership, empathy, and equality coexisted naturally.
| Aspect | Haenyeo System | Social Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Model | Cooperative diving groups | Promotes safety and shared income |
| Economic Role | Women as main earners | Empowered local families and markets |
| Leadership | Bulteok meetings | Self-governed decision-making and mentorship |
3️⃣ Family Networks & Generational Bonds
In many Haenyeo families, diving is a matrilineal legacy — a shared identity between grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. When young women train, older divers guide them through every tide and breath. This mentoring is more than skill-sharing; it’s an emotional transfer of courage and wisdom. Family networks ensure that no diver faces the ocean alone. Even as fewer young women choose this path today, the respect for lineage and maternal mentorship remains sacred.
- 👵 Grandmothers known as “Sanggun” (senior divers)
- 👧 Apprentices called “Halmang” or “Hanyeo-haksaeng” (diver trainees)
- 🧭 Legacy: Skills and ethics passed through storytelling and observation
4️⃣ Role in Jeju Society — Beyond the Ocean
Haenyeo influence extends beyond their diving communities. They are cultural icons, environmental guardians, and spiritual leaders. Many serve on local councils, manage marine conservation zones, and perform annual sea-goddess rituals to bless the island’s prosperity. Their voices carry authority rooted in wisdom and service — a balance of humility and leadership rarely seen in modern industries. Through these roles, Haenyeo became symbols of communal harmony and gender equality in Jeju society.
| Role | Activity | Social Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Leader | Organizes sea rituals & community events | Preserves Jeju traditions |
| Environmental Guardian | Enforces sustainable diving rules | Protects marine biodiversity |
| Mentor | Trains new generations | Ensures cultural continuity |
5️⃣ Feminist Symbolism & Empowerment
Globally, the Haenyeo represent feminine strength and resilience. They shattered patriarchal norms long before feminism reached Korea’s mainland. Through labor, they achieved self-reliance, education, and social respect. Their model of solidarity inspired modern Korean feminist movements, appearing in art, literature, and academic studies worldwide. Today, Haenyeo are not only divers — they are cultural feminists who show that empowerment grows from community, not competition.
6️⃣ Respect Rituals & Cultural Ethics
Before diving, Haenyeo gather at the sea shrine to bow and pray to Yowangsin, the goddess of the sea. They light incense, pour rice wine, and chant for calm waters and safe returns. These rituals strengthen community bonds and remind divers that the ocean is not conquered but respected. After successful dives, they share food and stories, reinforcing gratitude and humility. This daily spiritual discipline forms the moral foundation of the Haenyeo community — a sacred respect for life, nature, and sisterhood.
- 🙏 Annual Ceremony: “Yeongdeung-gut” (Wind Goddess Festival)
- 🌾 Offerings: Rice, tangerines, and seaweed
- 🎶 Chant: “The sea gives, the sea takes — we dive with her.”
7️⃣ Global Lessons from Jeju’s Women of the Sea
The Haenyeo sisterhood offers a timeless lesson in balance — between self and society, labor and love, tradition and modernity. Their cooperative model has been studied by economists and sociologists as a successful example of community-based sustainability. For travelers, meeting these women is witnessing history in motion: a living proof that solidarity can thrive even in harsh environments. Their courage continues to inspire artists, activists, and travelers to see the sea not as a frontier, but as a shared home.
- 🌍 Study Models: UN Women, UNESCO Heritage Research, Korean Feminist Studies
- 📸 Exhibitions: “Sisters of the Sea” — Paris, Tokyo, New York
- 🎓 Lessons: Teamwork, respect, and sustainable living
