The culture of Jeju haenyeo (female divers), registered as one of the Intangible Cultural 

Heritages of UNESCO, is expected to captivate the participants in the Jeju Forum for 

Peace and Prosperity from the world. 

Famous artists home and abroad, who have portrayed the life and work of the Jeju 

haenyeo in their photos, writings and films, will join the session on the haenyeo culture 

of Jeju Island, slated to open at 10:20 a.m. on June 2, 2017, the third day of the Jeju 

Forum.

Under the session theme, “From Babies to Grannies of the Sea: Global Promotion and 

Sustainability of Jeju Haenyeo,” haenyeo who are still active will give testimonies to their 

life, and experts in cultural administration will discuss the fellowship, cultural value and 

sustainability of the Jeju haenyeo culture.  

The session will be hosted by BAK Sangmee (Dean, Graduate School of International 

and Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies / facilitator, UNESCO Intangible 

Cultural Heritage Convention), and joined by the panelists, NGUYEN Thi Hien (member, 

UNESCO Intangible Heritage Evaluation Body / Vice Director, Vietnam National Institute 

of Culture and Arts Studies); Joey ROSITANO (filmmaker and photojournalist); Brenda 

PAIK SUNOO (photojournalist); LEE Sun-hwa (Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial 

Councilor), KANG Aeshim (principal, Beobhwan Haenyeo School), CHAE Jiae (Jeju 

haenyeo); and KOH Heeyoung (director of the movie, Mulsum).

Dean BAK, concurrently a member of the Cultural Properties Committee, has played a 

key role in registering the Jeju haenyeo, traditional Korean music of peasants and 

kimchi-making culture as UNESCO heritages. BAK emphasized, “The efforts to preserve 

haenyeo culture should be a good example for the global discourse on conservation 

and utilization of the intangible heritages.”

The folklore expert, NGUYEN Thi Hien, who participated in the selection of the Jeju 

haenyeo as a UNESCO cultural heritage, will present his view on the efforts of UNESCO 

to preserve cultural heritages and the cultural value of the Jeju haenyeo in the session.

Brenda PAIK SUNOO, a third-generation Korean-American, has published “Moon Tides-

Jeju Island Grannies and the Sea,” a collection of her photos, essays and interviews with 

the haenyeo for two years in Jeju Island. “I sought to present the independent life of 

haenyeo as a model for women. I want to let the unique and mysterious life of haenyeo 

known all over the world,” BAK said. 

Joey ROSITANO is filming a documentary on haenyeo by visiting every village of Jeju 

Island to keep record of the endangered folk culture of Jeju Island. He published a 

photo book, “Spirits” and a documentary, “Spirits: Jeju Island's Shamanic Shrines.” He is 

also giving a lecture on Yeongdeung shaman ritual for welfare and good harvest.   

A Jeju native, KOH Heeyoung has produced a documentary, Mulsum, which filmed the 

life of haenyeo for seven years. The film released in September, 2016 captured the 

touching drama of haenyeo life in the stunning scenes on land and underwater in 50:50 

ratio. 

Director KOH will present the essence of her film in eight-minute footage in the session, 

which will be followed by three haenyeo songs by Jerajin Children’s Choir.    

CHAE Jiae, a young haenyeo, will tell about the haenyeo population now decreasing 

and growing older. KANG Aesim, head of the haenyeo society, and LEE Sun-hwa, who 

has drafted legislation to preserve haenyeo culture, will discuss administrative measures 

to support haenyeo. 

Brenda PAIK SUNOO will distribute her photo-essay book (240-page hardcover edition 

published by Seoul Selection) to 70 participants in the autograph event after the 

session. She lives in Aewol-eup in Jeju Island. 

The session on haenyeo culture is expected to be attended by 300 from 50 countries, 

including the participants in the session hosted by Asia-Pacific Centre of Education For 

International Understanding under the Auspices of UNESCO. 

A haenyeo photo exhibition, organized by the Jeju Haenyeo Museum, will be held in 

front of the Halla Hall at the Jeju International Convention Center, the venue of the 

session. Participants of the session will be given the opportunity to observe the life of 

haenyeo during a visit to Beobhwan Haenyeo School in the afternoon. The on-line 

applicants for the visit will depart at the convention center for the school at 2:30 p.m. 

on June 2. 

The online application to join the autograph session and the haenyeo school tour is due 

by May 26. Some of the suggestions made by the applicants for the program will be 

presented at the session. Among the applicants, 70 will be given the opportunity to join 

the autograph session and 30 to visit the haenyeo school by the order of application. 

[Register for the free tour & Haenyeo photo book signing event]