Jeju Island’s Haenyeo

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The woman divers known as haenyeo are a symbol of Jeju Island. The haenyeo will likely be added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list soon. Here’s more.

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Making their livelihoods in the ocean waters, female divers called "haenyo" are a symbol of Jeju Island. Since 2011, the Jeju government and the Cultural Heritage Administration have been working to have haenyo added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list. The efforts of the past several years will at last bear fruit. UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has recommended that Jeju'shaenyo be registered as a leading intangible cultural heritage item. Ahead of the 11th inter-government committee meeting slated for late November in Ethiopia, the UNESCO committee appraised whether to add Jejuhaenyo to the intangible heritage list, and recognized the value of the culture's unique community spirit.

[Soundbite] Chung Eun-sun(World heritage team, Cultural Heritage Administration) : "We believe it is highly likely that the registrationwill be realized if there is no objection at the final stage, given that the UNESCO appraiser has made a recommendation."

Japan did not apply to have its rival female divers called "ama" added to the UNESCO list. There are approximately 340 UNESCO intangible cultural heritage items around the world. South Korea has 18 items on the UNESCO list, including the JongmyoJeryeak, court music for a royal ancestral ceremony.