Jeju Island is off the southern coast of South Korea. It has beautiful scenery where the ocean meets rough terrain. It is also home to a remarkable group of women who have broken traditional gender roles for generations. In Haenyeo, “sea women” refers to a unique cultural event beyond a job and shows how deeply people are connected to the ocean.
Since the Middle Ages, these amazing women have dove into East China and the Yellow Seas to catch seafood using only their breath and unwavering drive. Their job isn’t just a job; it’s a sacred ritual that has been passed down through the mothers and is a big part of the island’s culture. In 2016, UNESCO added the haenyeo custom to its Intangible Cultural Heritage List, recognizing its unique importance.
In the past, the haenyeo could stay economically stable in tough situations. Men usually stayed on land, but these women became the main breadwinners and swam up to 10 meters deep without air tanks. What some might have seen as a weakness became a source of great strength and community pride because of their strength.
At its peak in the early 1960s, around 30,000 haenyeo lived on Jeju Island. Today, that number has dropped sharply to about 4,000, and most practitioners are in their sixties, seventies, or even eighties. Even though their numbers are decreasing, the haenyeo’s attitude is still as strong as the ocean they live and work in.
These women don’t just fish; they protect a marine ecosystem, fight for natural rights, and live examples of how to keep culture alive. Their community’s story is one of survival, change, and a strong connection to the sea that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Diving Deep: Resilience and Renewal Among Jeju’s Sea Women
Soon, Deok Jang is a great example of the haenyeo spirit: he is tough, proud, and has been through a lot. At 72, she looks like she has been diving all her life, with stories of many ocean encounters written all over her skin. She jokes, “My wallet is thick, but my flesh is thin,” which shows how brutally honest people have to be in a job that expects everything from them.
It’s not like these women are delicate flowers. They are fighters of the sea who dive up to 300 times a day to catch abalone, conch, and sea cucumbers with just a netted basket and very strong lungs. Men stopped doing this work long ago because they couldn’t handle the mental and physical responsibilities. What did the haenyeo say? They have a knowing smile and a serious demeanor that reveal their strength.
Their jokes make the hard times seem less bad. One experienced diver says that younger divers might use oxygen tanks, which seems like a clear insult to their usual ways of doing things. People their age see their work as more than just a job; it’s a calling and a sacred link to the ocean that goes beyond just staying alive.
Sohee Jin and Jeongmin Woo are the new generation of haenyeo in their thirties. They’ve given custom a modern twist by posting videos of their dives on YouTube and TikTok. Jin left a stressful business job to find peace and freedom at sea. After her husband’s business failed, Woo could support herself financially. She saw her job as one of the few flexible choices for working mothers in South Korea.
These younger dives are a sign of hope and flexibility. They’re not just keeping a custom alive but giving it a new twist. By using social media, they’re letting more people know about the problems their community is having, like environmental problems and a lack of practitioners.
There is a clear age gap, but it doesn’t cause fights. The older haenyeo see these young women as possible keepers of a way of life that is dying out quickly. It’s a quiet handing off, where respect still wins over differences between generations and love for the sea stays the strongest link.
Things are changing for them. Pollution, changes in the climate, and economic stresses all put their lives at risk. Still, a brave young haenyeo says, “Where there is sea, there will always be haenyeo.” This statement is both defiant and hopeful.
Capturing Depths: Visual Poetry of the Sea Women
Justin Turkowski’s underwater filmmaking turns “The Last of the Sea Women” from a simple documentary into a beautiful visual work about how people can endure hardship and the beauty of the ocean. Each frame takes viewers right into the world of the haenyeo, with stunning shots of women swimming bravely into the ocean shadows. The camera moves with the divers like an unseen friend, following them as they move through the underwater world with amazing grace.
Imagine scuba diving without air in a place with swirling currents and unknown underwater terrain. Through Turkowski’s view, we can see how close this experience is—weathered hands reaching into cracks in rocks, nets standing out against the blue-green water, and strong women who look like they belong underwater more than on land. These aren’t just cinematic moments; they’re works of visual art that show how deeply connected the haenyeo is to the ocean.
When the movie gets to land, it switches to telling stories in a raw, uncensored way. Iris Ng and Eunsoo Cho, who direct the haenyeo, keep the style intentionally simple so that the powerful stories can shine. Straight-to-camera interviews make it feel like the people interviewed talk to the watchers directly. The environment of Jeju Island becomes another character; the rough coastlines and windswept lands serve as a backdrop that shows how strong these women are.
The graphic style avoids glamorization on purpose. Instead, it shows the haenyeo’s world with respectable realism, with rough hands and faces that hold centuries of marine knowledge. Each frame looks like a well-balanced painting, showing a dying trade and a live cultural heritage.
With its masterful use of images, the documentary does more than just record; it also immortalizes an amazing human story of survival, custom, and a strong bond with nature.
Tides of Transformation: Ecological Battles of Jeju’s Sea Women
The ocean, which used to be a clean place for the haenyeo to work, is now a battleground for natural destruction. Waters that used to be very clear are now contaminated by truckloads of trash, which forces these amazing women to go farther from land every season. What used to be a simple harvest has become a difficult adventure, and marine life can be seen getting smaller because of careless people.
Japan’s controversial plan to release toxic waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant is the most dangerous threat to our very existence. Even though this project has been technically compliant with international rules for decades, it could pollute marine environments for thousands of years. In the past, the haenyeo were thought to protect the sea. They are in the middle of an environmental disaster that could completely change how they live.
Soon Deok Jang’s emotional plea at the UN Human Rights Council is more than just a personal protest; it’s a call for everyone to care about the environment. Her evidence shows how terrible the effects could be for marine life, nearby communities, and the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.
Deep generational tensions can be seen in the discussion about adapting to new technologies. Younger haenyeo don’t believe in the old ways of doing things and want to know why they can’t use gas tanks to make their work easier. Some older people think this could lead to harmful, industrialized fishing methods. There are many sides to this argument about custom, survival, and sustainability.
Greenpeace and other environmentalists have backed the haenyeo, which has helped spread their protection message. With the help of social media, younger divers like Sohee Jin and Jeongmin Woo can record changes in the environment, changing their traditional role into that of digital environmental champions.
There is more at stake than just defending a job; there is also the preservation of a whole ecosystem and way of life. To quote a haenyeo, “Where there is sea, there will always be haenyeo”; this is a statement of hope in the face of problems that seem impossible to solve.
Their determination says a lot. These women keep diving despite pollution, radiation, and pressure from technology. They are carrying on a practice that has been important to their community for generations. They are more than just fishermen; they are environmental guardians working to protect a fragile marine world that is disappearing quickly.
Waves of Wisdom: Cultural Resilience of Jeju’s Sea Hunters
The haenyeo society has a life force beyond work; it’s a cultural organism that is alive and well. Their yearly event is more than just a party; it’s a sign of survival and a lively ritual that links the past, the present, and the future. While these women are together, they share stories, laugh, and have an understanding that makes them stronger than any business network.
The way people think has changed greatly. The haenyeo were pushed to the edges of society and treated badly, but now they are seen as cultural heroes. What was once seen as a desperate way to stay alive is now recognized by UNESCO as an intangible treasure. Young women like Sohee Jin and Jeongmin Woo are taking back this story and using social media to show how important and honorable their work is.
The gap between generations creates interesting conflicts. Older haenyeo see their job as a holy calling passed down through the mother’s line like a spiritual heritage. Younger practitioners see the practice as a way to protect culture and make money, so they approach it with respect and realism.
There are unspoken rules in their group that everyone should help each other. When one diver is having a hard time, the others help. When the sea is rough, they both deal with it. This is more than just a job; it’s a shared identity that has helped them get through hundreds of years of social and economic changes.
The haenyeo practice is about how humans can adapt, stay alive, and find deep meaning in their relationships with others and nature.
Storytelling Beneath the Waves: Kim’s Cultural Portrait
Sue Kim made her documentary because of a very close link. Since she first saw the haenyeo while visiting Korea as a child, her writing feels more like a personal talk than a cold history record. She creates a simple but compelling story arc that lets the haenyeo’s real events speak directly to viewers.
Kim’s stories purposely leave out the tricks used in movies. The women’s voices, raw feelings, and real-life experiences are given the most attention in each frame. The photography stops being a stylized lens and turns into a clear window that shows the haenyeo’s world in a very real way.
Malala Yousafzai’s role as co-producer gives the movie a strong political undercurrent. From her global human rights point of view, the video goes from studying a specific culture to a story about resilience, female strength, and caring for the environment that anyone can tell.
Kim makes more than a documentary by focusing on the immediate dangers these amazing women face, such as changing generations and dying marine ecosystems. She creates a live, breathing record of a community fighting to keep its identity in the face of huge modern pressures.
As a result, the movie doesn’t just record events; it also supports, celebrates, and remembers an amazing human story.
Echoes of the Sea: Resilience Beyond Survival
“The Last of the Sea Women” is more than just a documentary; it deeply reflects how strong people are. Every frame is tense, with a fine line between dreadful loss and unwavering hope. The haenyeo’s story isn’t just about surviving; it’s also a powerful one about having honor in the face of huge cultural and environmental problems.
Their speech at the UN turns out to be a turning point, not just a protest but a worldwide call for environmental awareness. When Soon Deok Jang talks, she speaks for generations of ocean guards. Her worn-out voice carries the weight of hundreds of years of maritime knowledge.
The documentary doesn’t just record a dying custom; it also sounds the alarm. These women are more than just their jobs; they’re examples of how people can adapt, resist, and change. Their legacy sends a very important message: we are all linked to our environment and need to understand that connection to stay alive.
As things get more dangerous for the last generation of traditional haenyeo, their story becomes more global. They make people think about how we relate to nature, each other, and our amazing ability to bounce back from tough situations.
The ocean keeps beating, just like memories do. It’s unexpected, powerful, and always changing.
The Review
The Last of the Sea Women
"The Last of the Sea Women" is an amazing documentary that crosses ethnic boundaries to show how resilient people are, how they care for the environment, and how long people can keep going. The director, Sue Kim, shows the haenyeo not as old artifacts but as live, breathing symbols of the fight to protect the culture and the environment. The film's strength is that it is completely real. It doesn't make the haenyeo's fight sound romantic; instead, it shows their world clearly and emotionally. From stunning underwater footage to deeply personal talks, every moment feels carefully planned and wonderfully natural. More than just a story, this documentary is an urgent call to action about protecting the environment, preserving cultural history, and honoring the amazing women who continue to push the limits of what we think is possible for people.
PROS
- Exceptional underwater cinematography
- Profound and intimate storytelling
- Strong focus on women's resilience
- Compelling environmental narrative
- Authentic representation of haenyeo culture
- Powerful cross-generational perspectives
CONS
- Potentially slow pacing for mainstream audiences
- Limited global context
- Some technical diving details might overwhelm casual viewers
- Minimal exploration of broader economic implications
