Beyond the Mermaid : Re-imagining Haenyeo and Transnational Subjectivity in The Island of Sea Women

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In 2016, UNESCO designated the Jeju haenyeo (female divers) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Observers have tended to romanticize them, referring to them as the “last mermaids” on Earth. However, this perspective often overlooks the profound struggles and dangers inherent in their underwater labor. Against the backdrop of this global recognition, Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women (2019) delves into the resilience and transnational subjectivity forged by the collective spirit of these female divers. Whereas Western and patriarchal cultures often view the ocean as a territory to be mastered or conquered, the haenyeo strive to coexist with it, regarding the sea as a communal partner. In this paper, I examine the interplay of myth and reality regarding Jeju women, the bulteok (seaside hearth) as a matrifocal public sphere, and the practice of chulga-muljil (leaving-home water-work), which enabled them to broaden their worldviews through their evolving relationship with the sea. Together, these elements highlight the haenyeo’s spirit of survival, the power of the collective, and the elevation of their social status. Ultimately, I argue that the haenyeo evolved from local laborers into transnational agents by redefining their identity on a global scale.