On May 16 (local time), the 3rd K-Plus Festival was held at Cit? University in Paris, France. This event, designed to showcase various aspects of Korean culture such as food, beauty, traditional games, and music to Europe, officially invited Jeju haenyeo. Under the theme "The Strongest Mothers in the World, Haenyeo," the haenyeo gave lectures highlighting their origins, history, and way of life, and introduced European audiences to dishes and prepared foods made with seafood harvested from the sea.

Over the course of two days, the event attracted more than 15,000 visitors, and the haenyeo and their culture were a sensation. The lecture hall, which could accommodate about 100 people, was filled to capacity, and long lines formed at booths introducing signature foods representing haenyeo and Jeju, such as horned turban bibimbap, oil rice cakes, and matcha. Many visitors also took commemorative photos and received autographs from the haenyeo, who traveled as a delegation in traditional attire.

Haenyeo image cut. K Plus Festival official website

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Shinsegae Department Store, which sells raw seafood and prepared foods harvested by haenyeo under its own brand "Haenyeo's New World" at major store food halls, was also invited to the event and operated a pop-up restaurant and conference. Kang Youngnam, seafood buyer (manager) of Shinsegae Department Store's Fresh Food Team, who attended as the general planner, said, "Globally popular content featuring haenyeo, such as the American bestseller 'The Island of Sea Women' by Lisa See and the recent Netflix original drama 'Poksak Sogasuda,' has made Europeans well aware of haenyeo and their lives. Throughout the two-day event, visitors showed an interest that far exceeded our expectations."

According to the industry on June 24, as K-haenyeo have gained worldwide attention through books, dramas, and other content, products made with seafood they harvest are also seeking export opportunities. For example, Manje Fishery Cooperative Corporation, which has been distributing and selling wild Jeju seafood since 2000, is expanding its reach by exporting its own products to the United States, Japan, Singapore, and other countries. The company has developed and sells its own sauces and jang such as sea urchin roe sauce, clear soy sauce with shrimp, tot jang, and conch jang, mainly focusing on deboned grilled fish fillets. They also produce retort (shelf-stable ready-to-eat) products using seafood harvested by haenyeo, such as abalone and horned turban soup.

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Manje Fishery Cooperative Corporation supplies products mainly to Korean markets in Los Angeles and Chicago in the United States, and by May this year, its export value had already reached $600,000 (about 800 million won), nearly double last year's annual total of $300,000. The company, which won the $1 Million Export Tower at the 2022 Jeju Exporters' Day ceremony, is actively expanding its export presence.

The company is currently in practical discussions to expand to new markets such as Malaysia, and is also considering promoting products through collaborations with "Wanghong," leading online influencers in China, via local partners. Through these efforts, they expect to raise awareness in the Chinese-speaking regions of Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Following the success of the K-Plus Festival, they have also received proposals for lectures and product promotions featuring haenyeo at Stanford University in the United States and are currently coordinating possible participation in the second half of the year.

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Attention is now focused on whether the expansion of exports of related products can help preserve the rapidly declining haenyeo population and ecosystem. According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the number of haenyeo in Jeju, which stood at 4,415 in 2014, dropped to 2,623 last year, a decrease over ten years. By age group, those aged 70 to under 80 accounted for 1,165, or 44.4 percent. Those aged 80 and over numbered 429, showing a high degree of aging. There are only 41 haenyeo under the age of 40. Because the work is physically demanding and the income is low, younger generations are not entering the profession. The number of working days per year is only about 100, and sales channels are heavily dependent on the local market, which are also considered limitations.

CEO Kim emphasized, "Haenyeo are highlighted as 'strong mothers' (Eomeong in Jeju dialect) who risk their lives to support their families by going out to sea, but after enduring the harsh work, it is so physically and mentally exhausting that it is sometimes difficult even to swallow a meal. It is important to expand sales channels and develop a variety of products so that their efforts are more adequately rewarded."