Diving with 5 'Namcheon Haenyeo' in the Coastal Waters off Downtown Busan

Dongui University Hanil Haenyeo Research Institute Holds Fundraising Event to Publish Oral Interview Collection of Five Haenyeo

On the 19th, haenyeo and citizens participating in the haenyeo diving experience event hosted by Dong-Eui University in front of Namcheon Port, Busan, are diving following the haenyeo.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The Hanil Haenyeo Research Institute at Dong-Eui University (President Han Su-hwan), led by Director Yoo Hyung-sook, a professor of Hotel Convention Management, held an experience event titled ‘Accompanying Diving with Namcheon Haenyeo’ on the morning of the 19th in the sea off Namcheon Port, Busan, attended by about 20 local residents and haenyeo from Namcheon-dong.

The event was sponsored by the Dong-Eui University LINC+ Project Group, the Busan Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Institute, and the Haenyeo Tourism Network Industry-Academic Council. The second experience event for accompanying diving is scheduled to take place in October.

The Hanil Haenyeo Research Institute at Dong-Eui University has been conducting a small donation funding project since July to December to publish the ‘Urban Haenyeo Oral History,’ recording the stories of five haenyeo from Namcheon-dong, Busan. This event was also part of that project.

To preserve the haenyeo culture, which is disappearing, and the lives of haenyeo living in ‘Busan fishing villages,’ a new project titled ‘Oral Interview Collection of Five Namcheon Haenyeo’ compiles the stories of five elderly haenyeo belonging to the Namcheon Fishing Cooperative in Namcheon-dong, Busan, into a single book.

Director Yoo Hyung-sook of the Hanil Haenyeo Research Institute said, “In 2016, ‘Jeju Haenyeo Culture’ was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing its cultural value, but interest and support for haenyeo living outside Jeju are very minimal.”

She explained the background of this project, saying, “Especially, the number of haenyeo based in Busan who dive is gradually decreasing, and with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, support for AI (Artificial Intelligence), ICT, and engineering has increased significantly, while the humanities field is relatively neglected.”

A representative of the Haenyeo Research Institute stated, “Support and efforts are needed to preserve Korea’s unique humanities cultural heritage,” and added, “Through the discovery and expanded support of haenyeo cultural heritage by the government and local governments, we hope that the intense life stories of Busan haenyeo can be transformed into representative tourism content of Busan.”

The Haenyeo Research Institute was established in March 2016 to preserve the precious and rare intangible cultural heritage of haenyeo culture, which exists only in Korea and Japan.

Based on comprehensive research on professional female fishermen, haenyeo, the institute holds academic seminars and publishes educational materials.

It conducts haenyeo cultural experience education projects for Busan citizens, participates in the Japanese ‘Haenyeo Summit (Ama Summit),’ promotes Korea-Japan haenyeo cultural exchanges, and carries out haenyeo status surveys and information exchanges through agreements with the Mie University Haenyeo Research Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.