From Seeing Haenyeo to Understanding Their Lives

You are lucky if you encounter haenyeo, Jeju’s women divers, by the sea. But a brief glimpse of them at work cannot tell you everything about what they do. When I visited the Haenyeo Museum some time ago, I initially thought I was going to see a familiar side of Jeju. By the time I left, I saw the sea a little differently.

A suggested route
Explore haenyeo’s lives and tools at the Haenyeo Museum → Visit the sea at Sehwa, where their stories continue in the coastal landscape

Stories to Discover First at the Haenyeo Museum

When you enter the exhibition halls, diving equipment is not the only thing that catches your eye. You begin to see generations of working together at sea, sharing what they have learned, and building lives within their villages. As you examine a taewak float or a mangsari net bag, you start to imagine the years of preparation and experience behind a single moment underwater.

The culture of Jeju haenyeo was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016 for reasons that go beyond the skill of holding one’s breath and diving. It also encompasses knowledge of the sea, the ways experience is passed down within the community, and an approach to living in harmony with the marine environment.

A Special Black-and-White Photography Exhibition This Autumn

To mark the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO inscription, the Haenyeo Museum is hosting the photography exhibition “Distant Faces in Black and White: My Mother, a Jeju Haenyeo.” Featuring records of haenyeo’s work and communities in the 1980s–1990s, the exhibition runs from September 8 to December 6, 2026, according to the official announcement. The museum photos in this article are from an earlier visit and do not show the special exhibition. Before visiting, check the latest visitor information on the Visit Jeju special exhibition page.

From the Museum to the Sea at Sehwa

After discovering these stories at the museum, the colors of the sea at Sehwa may be the first thing you notice. Soon, though, you are reminded that this is also someone’s workplace. You do not have to encounter haenyeo for this route to feel complete. If it changes the way you look at the sea even slightly, that is enough.

Remember by the sea
A haenyeo worksite is not a stage for tourists. Rather than approaching divers while they work or asking them to pose for photos, respect their workspace and watch quietly from a distance.

Jeju’s sea holds stories built up over time, just as rich as the scenery before your eyes. This short route from the Haenyeo Museum to Sehwa was a way to listen a little more closely to those stories.