Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Korean Culture and Information Service

The land of fire with the most parasitic volcanoes in the world!

The land of water where the ocean colors change magically by season!

Jeju Island of Korea is the result of a beautiful collaboration by water and fire.

A fisherman ventures out to the sea dreaming of a big catch and a woman diver digs for treasures in the blue water.

The winds of Jeju tell us the stories of these two elderly islanders growing old peacefully with the sea.

It's not quite light at the dock.

The day at the fishing village begins with the fishermen hurrying for departure.

Speeding across the morning sea, the small fishing boat heads toward Seop Island, across from the dock.

Waters off Seop Island are a major habitat of the pearl-spot damselfish called "jaridom" in Korean.

Seventy-year-old fisherman Lee Geun-seok is getting ready for work in a precise manner.

Since the jaridom live in rocky areas, fishermen use a special tool to catch them.

The supple bamboo stalks are taped together to make a round frame.

A net is drawn around the frame and plunged into the sea. Then it's lifted out after a while.

That's why the fishermen here say they scoop up the jaridom instead of catching them.

After the net is lowered into the water, the fisherman peers into the sea through a bucket with a pane of glass attached at one end.

He must not miss the right moment!

If the net is pulled up late, even just a second late, the fish can get away, leaving the fishermen with an empty net.

This traditional fishing technique has been replaced by modern fishing methods.

But the Jeju sea still generously fills the net with the precious jaridom...

Keeping? this old fishing tradition alive.

The voice of an old fisherman is powerful and spirited like that of a young man.

Plump fish leap about in the net, making the fishermen's hearts skip a beat.

Waters off Jeju Island feature a unique marine environment where seaweed and coral live side by side in the same area.

The marine plants enrich the ocean environment and the soft coral colonies serve as spawning havens for fish.

The small island off the Jeju coast is the richest and safest habitat for marine creatures.

Jaridom are busy getting ready for the spawning season.

After the fish mate, the females look for flat surfaces among the rocks to lay eggs.

The eggs start hatching about a week after spawning.

The jaridom don't travel far, they stay near their birthplace for their entire lives.

Jaridoms are very special to the people of Jeju.

When life was hard, the fish caught near the coast satisfied people's hunger and provided quality protein.

Has the fisherman's dream of a big catch come true?

Time flies when work is hectic. It's already time to return to the port.

The jaridoms are best when eaten raw, so they have to be transported quickly to the dock while they're still fresh.

The woman waiting for the returning boat is the fisherman's wife.

Village women wait at the dock to receive the freshly caught fish from the boats. Then they dress and sell them right on the spot.

The first thing the old fisherman does when he comes home is repair his net.

Dreaming of another big catch, he expertly mends the net for another day at the sea.

Although he's already 70 years old, he's grateful and content that he is still strong enough to make money and share the pay with his family and friends.

The wife worries about her husband's health. She's afraid that the fishing job is too taxing for his age.

Their affection for each other has grown more profound over the past 40 years of their marriage.

With each other's support, they were able to raise a happy family despite life's difficulties.

It's a peaceful evening at the fishing village.

It's the grandfather's job to babysit the young grandchildren.

The sun is setting, but the wife is still dressing the fish at the dock.

Dressing the jaridom is a well-paid job for the village women. So they work at the wharf long after the boats have docked.

His steps are lighter since he showed his wife their adorable grandchildren.

The summer at the dock is beautiful with the low parasitic volcanoes and Seop Island off the coast.

His grandchildren are visiting from the city.

The grandfather has brought his grandchildren to the beach strewn with black rocks.

The beaches of Jeju were created when the cold sea water cooled off the hot lava.

Over time waves have broken and smoothed the rough volcanic rocks.

The black rocks along the coast have become home to assorted sea creatures.

Nothing is more fascinating than this beach to these children who are used to playing with computers in the city.

But it's the old fisherman who seems to be more excited than the children.

This experience of catching top shells and fish with his grandchildren...

Makes him happy beyond words.

The grandfather's basket is brimming with the fond memories made with his grandchildren.

Meanwhile...

The fisherman's wife is busy cooking up food to be shared with the neighbors.

Today's menu includes jaridom, an indispensable part of Jeju cuisine.

Fresh vegetables like cucumbers and sesame seed leaves are mixed with fish fillets, traditional bean paste and vinegar. The food is served with ice cold water.

In Jeju surrounded by the sea, the spicy raw jaridom soup not only helps whet the appetite dulled by the summer heat...

But also provides a clever way to enjoy raw fish even in the summer without any ill effects.

These jaridom dishes are Jeju natives' special summer treats and comfort food.

At five o'clock in the morning...

The fisherman's wife is busy.

She's packing lunch for her husband as he prepares for work early in the morning.

He goes out to the sea every day, but she takes extra care to pack today's lunch, because today is the last day of the jaridom fishing season.

The early morning air at the dock already smells of summer.

The jaridom fishing season that began with the spring breeze is coming to an end.

Jaridom fishing starts as early as March...

And must be over before the midsummer heat wave arrives.

He's sorry to see the season end, so he tries to make the most of the time he has left.

He's filled with anticipation as he draws up the net.

But fingerlings escape through the loose mesh. Feeling generous, they let the little ones go, for the sea has already given them plenty.

After they lower the net into the water, they take time to make breakfast.

They often have to eat a simple meal lest they should miss a school of jaridom.

But today they're having a humble feast on board with the freshly caught jaridom and the homemade seasoning and rice.

Some would say that he's old enough to retire and enjoy his grandchildren, but the sea is a fun playground and a well-stocked pantry for the fisherman who spent his entire life at the sea.

So he plans to take his small boat out here and catch fish with his nets as long as he's able.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins break above the ocean surface.

They are natives of the Jeju coasts.

Highly intelligent and playful, the dolphins living in groups can distinguish one another and enjoy playing games.

There are those who have communicated for centuries with these human-like dolphins. They're Jeju's haenyeos or women divers.

A pod of dolphins swim next to a haenyeo. They know from experience that she's a friend.

When the two species meet...

They create a scene that can be witnessed only in one place on earth, the seas of Jeju.

Resilient haenyeos are the symbol of Jeju women's strength and the island itself.

Koh Gyeong-suk who turned 81 this year is one such haenyeo.

For the last 70 years or so she has dived ceaselessly and lived the life of a true haenyeo.

Today she again glides through the water to gather sea urchins.

As she comes up from the dive, she exhales to make a whistle-like sound of sumbisori.

Jeju haenyeos enter the deep water without any mechanical diving gear or elaborate tools...

And fight the rough waves for hours to collect seafood.

Their special ability has long gained the world's attention.

Haenyeos' diving skills are undeniably world-class. They generally work at the depth of about 10 meters, but can dive to more than 20 meters deep when necessary.

They usually stay underwater for one or two minutes. Skilled haenyeos can endure much longer than that.

Then they come up to the surface for a little while and then go back into the water repeatedly.

Jeju haenyeos are not born with this special talent.

They were ordinary women born near the sea, but they learned to dive like diving was their fate.

They swam out to the sea willingly for their families. Now they have become freer in the water than on land.

The tide is ebbing.

The women divers come up to the beach one by one after four or five long hours of work.

The elderly haenyeo who skillfully picked the sea urchins rises above the waves on the beach.

Unlike the agile movements she showed in the water...

On land she returns to being a frail old lady with a bent back.

The land of Jeju Island is too barren, windy and rock strewn to farm.

But the island's seas have always been bountiful.

She is thankful to the sea that has generously shared its bounty with the hard-working haenyeos.

Her husband quietly helps her with her chores, but has disapproved of her diving for a few years now.

Naturally, he's worried about the well-being of his aged wife.

But no amount of protest from her husband or children can stop her from going out to the sea.

A morning spent diving and an afternoon devoted to cleaning the sea urchins... produces a basin full of golden sea urchin roe.

She's happy that she has made enough money to share with her grandchildren.

Jeju's summer arrives with the ocean winds.

She receives the news that tomorrow's diving is cancelled due to the cloudy skies.

She can dive come rain or snow, but not on windy days.

The sea has provided for her family. Thanks to the sea's bounty, she was able to send her five children to college.

Now she's enjoying her golden years with her husband of 60 years.

Diving in the sea is hard, but rewarding.

It's become as natural as breathing to her.

She finally gets to go out to the sea again after three restless days.

Her diving gear looks too heavy for her arched back.

But her heart is already way out in the sea.

Just like this deeply wrinkled diver...

Haenyeos of Jeju Island are aging rapidly. With the passing of each year, their backs grow more hunched and their legs shakier.

It's become harder to bear the weight of lead chunks strapped to their bodies to keep them from floating up.

They have long relied on drugs to relieve the complications from repeated diving.

But they still can't resist swimming out when the sea calls.

They have no way of telling how long their weakening bodies can endure diving.

The old haenyeo takes a big breath and lets the tide carry her body out to the wider sea.

The moment she goes underwater...

She forgets her age and her aching body.

She just becomes a free-spirited mermaid.

The jaridom fisherman and the old haenyeo. They are the last guardians of Jeju traditions.

Living in harmony with nature...

And spending their golden years in peace...

They are the ones making the Jeju seas more beautiful.