American 'haenyeo' finds her place in Jeju's diving community
SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — For American Kylie Genter, a day at the beach is no longer a day off for sunbathing and swimming. Instead, it is a place where she prays for her safety before diving into the waters to gather abalone and shellfish for living. What others see as a holiday destination has become, to her, a workplace and a landscape of possibilities. Since she began diving as a "haenyo" with…
Seogwipo, Jeju Island — Kylie Genter, an American woman, no longer views a day at the beach as merely a time for relaxation. Instead, it has become her workplace, where she prays for her safety before diving to collect abalone and shellfish. Diving has transformed her perspective on the sea since she joined Jeju's haenyo divers in January 2024.
Genter, who arrived in South Korea as an English teacher in 2012 and later moved to Jeju in 2016, initially enrolled in a diving school in 2018 after being asked many questions about haenyeo, or female free-divers. She started as a haenyo in Youngrak village after hearing that they were recruiting younger divers. Initially, Genter was known by her fellow divers as "Hey" or "American kid," but she eventually found her place as a valuable addition to the team, offering her strength and skills.
Struggling at first to understand the language and the way of life, Genter has now become an integral part of Jeju's diving community.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- American 'haenyeo' finds her place in Jeju's diving community koreatimes.co.kr
