Book Café: The Women Divers of Jeju Island with author Brenda Paik Sunoo

Book Café: The Women Divers of Jeju Island with author Brenda Paik Sunoo

Filmed June 2, 2011

Award-winning author, editor and photojournalist Brenda Paik Sunoo presents images from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies and the Sea. Jeju Island’s sea women, or haenyeo, scour the sea floor as their maternal ancestors did, harvesting seaweed, octopus, sea urchins, turban shells, and abalone. Driven by economics, these women divers plunge more than 20 meters underwater, hold their breath for over two minutes, and labor well into their 80s. Their numbers have dwindled from fifteen thousand in the 1970s to just over five thousand today. Photo excerpts from the book received the International Museum of Women’s Community Choice Award.

For more information, please visit the link below:
koreasociety.org/​arts/​book_cafe/​book_cafe_the_women_divers_of_jeju_island.html

Cast: The Korea Society