August 2021
August 2021
Fishing, once the main livelihood on Jeju Island, used to be a male-dominated industry until the haenyeo (female divers) began diving for food to feed their families. Staying in the water for six to seven hours a day to collect seaweed, shellfish and other seafood, the divers are considered early trailblazers of female empowerment in Korea. They symbolize determination, strength and hard work, making them one of Jeju¡¯s treasures. Koreans refer to them as ¡°mothers of the sea.¡±
Written by
Honorary Reporter Dianne Pineda Kim
from Philippines
Photographed by
Park Lyn Jun
In 2016, UNESCO recognized the legacy and history of the divers as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Today, their way of life is dying as the haenyeo are aging and few young people are willing to take over given the risks of the job.
Fashion designer and Jeju native Park Lyn Jun seeks to reignite interest in the divers and find inspiration from them. He started his fashion brand Pale Turquoise to promote the beauty of the island and Jeju¡¯s mysteries.
With his goal of preserving the haenyeo and Jeju¡¯s nautical treasures, he launched the Haenyeo Clothing Research Institute, which produces high-quality Korean-made diving suits for the divers and contemporary diving wear for all.
Advertising Posters in Metro
Moscow, Russia
The Korean Culture Center (¡°KCC¡±) in Russia posted advertising posters inside the trains in Moscow and Saint Petersburg to promote representative Korean cultural items. The advertisement is part of the ¡°K-FEST 2021¡± (held from May to June) program that the KCC Center has organized to commemorate the ¡°2020-2021 Year of Korea-Russia Cultural Exchange.¡±
The KCC selected 11 major cultural items that represent Korea including Korean food, Hanok, Hanbok, Hangeul, taekwondo, traditional dance and music, folk paintings, ceramics, films and tourism, creating appropriate images that suit the banner format. In addition to the banners that promote Korean culture, the KCC also created four banners that feature cultural items of Korea and Russia together to represent the cultural exchange between the two countries.
The BTS Photo Exhibition
Central, Hong Kong
The Korean Cultural Center (¡°KCC¡±) in Hong Kong collaborated with the local BTS fan club to bring the attention of Hong Kong K-Wave fans to K-pop. Celebrating the 8th anniversary of BTS¡¯s debut (June 13), the KCC held the BTS Photo Exhibition for a month from Tuesday, June 8, to Wednesday, June 30, as well as the Online BTS Quiz Contest on Saturday, June 19. For the event, the KCC renovated the K-Pop Zone inside the Cultural Center, and installed a photo zone where the guests could take commemorative photos.
For the ¡°Photo Exhibition Celebrating the 8th Anniversary of BTS¡¯s Debut,¡± the KCC worked together with the largest BTS fan club in Hong Kong (BTSBPHKFC), using photos, large banners, and posters owned by the fan club for the exhibition.
