Korea’s Women of the Sea ("Haenyeo")

"Haenyeo" (the sea women) are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju. What used to amount to as many as 15,000 haenyeo in 1970 has now plummeted to a mere third of that number; and most of them are over seventy years of age, meaning that haenyeo are fast disappearing. Nowadays, instead of the strenuous lifestyle as a haenyeo, many Jeju women are turning elsewhere for other possibilities of living. In light of this sad reality, The LA Times published a feature article on Korean haenyeo, including interviews with the youngest haenyeo in Korea (33-year-old Ms. Kim) who has chosen the harsh path so that the precious tradition could be preserved. 

John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times / October 27, 2010

At 33, Kim Jae-yeon, left, is the youngest of South Korea’s haenyeo, or women of the sea. She takes to the water with her aunt, Kim Choun-geum, from whom she is learning the diving craft.

You can read full article here http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-korea-women-divers-20101027,0,1663729.story?page=1