Why are 90-year-old grandmothers forced to work as divers in Korea (12 photos)

Women in South Korea have proven that mermaids exist, even if they look different. But first things first.





Women divers

Walking around Korea, you can meet people of short stature and strong build in black wetsuits. And, coming closer, look at the face and be surprised - a real grandmother will appear before our eyes. A wrinkled face, a friendly smile - everything is as it should be. No, this is not a joke, but women (hene) who master the ancient profession of divers, extracting seafood from the seabed without scuba gear. Yes, yes, you heard right. These grannies hold their breath perfectly.



Woman diver

Their story begins in the 17th century during a difficult wartime for Korea. Men were at war, and women had to get their own food. This made them the first working women in South Korea. This is the beginning of emancipation. But in addition to beautiful words, this is a titanic work that requires enormous endurance and preliminary preparation.





Girls divers

Girls begin to cook from the age of 8, starting in shallow water with a gradual increase in depth. By the age of 18, a girl becomes a “newborn haene” and can conquer the depths together with experienced divers, which you can become when you reach the age of 30-40. This is the heyday for Korean mermaids, but not the end.



Girls divers

With age, women only gain professional qualities and hone their skills. Among the necessary skills: 1) holding your breath; 2) good orientation under water; 3) dexterity when handling sharp objects; 4) endurance.



Women divers

The oldest divers are already over 90 years old, and they still go to sea. This is the excerpt. They are often called mermaids, but you understand that with such training they are far from Ariel. The working day of the khene lasts 5 hours and is structured as follows.



Woman diver

Several divers, and they always work together, leave the shore in a boat and stop at a certain place in the sea. Then the women take knives in their hands, dive for the prey, climb to the top and leave the spoils in nets located along the edges of the boat.



Women divers

Between dives, you need to rest by lying on the water on tevaks - inflatable chambers. After completing the mining part, the women return to the shore, take the baskets, which weigh from 50 kg or more (some divers weigh less), and take them to the place of further processing, which is carried out by the entire community, including men.



Catch

Fishing activity does not stop for a day and is carried out all year round. In winter, sea slugs and octopuses are collected, in autumn - agar-agar, in spring and summer - sea urchins and algae. The entire catch is collected in a common pot and then sold on wholesale markets. The profession brings women a good income, which is divided among all members of the community.



Woman diver

In the modern world, hene is becoming less and less available. And this depressing circumstance only increases the age of working Korean mermaids. This trend is primarily associated with difficult working conditions.



Woman diver

And since learning is passed on from generation to generation, mothers refuse to teach their daughters, wanting them to have a better life. The second reason is that girls themselves choose a different path for themselves and go to live in cities in search of a better life and a prestigious job.



Woman diver

Despite this, the Korean government is trying to maintain this type of activity by providing wetsuits for the haen and paying for their health insurance. But who knows, maybe these measures will no longer apply, and Korean mermaids will remain only in photographs, museums and history books.



Women divers