#Worth1000Words – She lugs seaweed, he just looks dapper: Graeme Kemlo on Jeju, South Korea

In our #Worth1000Words segment, Graeme Kemlo shares a story from one of his many visits to South Korea. This time, he was on the holiday island of Jeju, halfway between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. There, you’ll find the legendary Haenyeo women divers, who have literally put the food on the tables for their husbands for centuries. Graeme took many photos of these divers but one was a classic as he explains. Seongsan Ilchubon, a volcanic islet that is popular to climb at sunset – but a few hundred feet below is where the divers collect their seaweed. – I watched an elderly Haenyeo struggle with a massive load of seaweed on her back up the 100+ steps from the water. The Haenyeo’s husband, looking resplendent in a bone suit, arrived carrying an empty shopping basket, met her at the top of the steps, nodded, offered no assistance, turned around and hurried back uphill (to unlock the car?) while the woman laboured on up, bent double with the load. While this role-reversal may clash with Korea’s modern male-oriented society and business culture, it is one of the social curiosities that makes this an intriguing place to visit – I think it is #Worth1000Words.Read More 

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