[INTERVIEW] American 'haenyeo' finds her place in Jeju's diving community

Kylie Genter, an American haenyeo, has built a place in Youngrak village’s diving community on Jeju Island since joining the divers in January 2024. She earned trust by helping veteran divers with daily tasks and looking out for them at sea. Genter balances diving with other work and says younger divers are adapting to changing conditions while sustaining the tradition. Veteran diver Hong Bok-nyeo worries that declining marine species could limit what future divers can harvest.

Genter arrived in Korea as an English teacher in 2012, moved to Jeju in 2016 and enrolled in a diving school in 2018 after questions about haenyeo from tour guests prompted her interest.

Eight haenyeo were working in Youngrak village when Genter joined, and four retired earlier this year.

Genter runs a pet boarding business and gives talks about haenyeo; fellow diver Choi Jung-yoon performs and organizes stand-up comedy shows.

Hong Bok-nyeo, who has been diving for 63 years, recently brought in almost twice as much as anyone else in the group.

Genter says younger divers may need to adapt to changing species, harvesting methods and rules while continuing to care for one another.

Published Oct 21, 2026 1:09 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 1:29 pm KST

Alongside veteran divers, Genter learns that becoming a haenyo means more than knowing how to dive

Kylie Genter, Jeju's first American haenyeo, poses near waters in Youngrak-ri, Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Oct. 9. Courtesy of Jeju Comedy Club

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — For American Kylie Genter , a day at the beach is no longer a day off for sunbathing and swimming.

Instead, it is a place where she prays for her safety before diving into the waters to gather abalone and shellfish for living. What others see as a holiday destination has become, to her, a workplace and a landscape of possibilities.

Since she began diving as a "haenyo" with fellow women divers in January 2024, the work has changed how she sees the sea.

Genter arrived in Korea as an English teacher in 2012. She moved to Jeju in 2016. While working as a tour guide, she received many questions about haenyeo and that prompted her to enroll in a diving school in 2018. She eventually took up the work after learning that Youngrak village was recruiting younger divers.

“When I first started, they didn’t really know my name,” she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. The veterans would call her “Hey” or “American kid.”

Within that circle, Genter found her role as an extra pair of strong hands. Struggling at first to understand the local dialect, she decided to contribute through physical work.

In this undated photo, Kylie Genter and her fellow haenyeo prepare to dive into the water at Youngrak village, Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Courtesy of Kylie Genter

Since her first day on the job, she arrived early to sweep the changing room, wash dishes and help carry the catches ashore, a practice called “mulmajung.” Relatives traditionally provided that assistance, she explained, but as their family members aged or moved away, divers increasingly did the work to help one another.

“You want to be careful because you don’t want to hurt their pride,” she said.

Their community is small enough for one person’s absence to change its mood. Eight haenyeo were working there when Genter joined; four retired earlier this year.

Each remaining veteran, or "samchun" in the Jeju dialect, brings something distinct.

Hong Bok-nyeo, 80, leads on shore and underwater, and recently brought in almost twice anyone else’s catch. Jwa Bok-hee, 70, helps bridge the generations, explaining the dialect and recalling a more abundant sea. Kim Won-ok, 79, knows how to tie equipment securely and repair torn diving suits.

When Jwa Young-ja, 88, practiced saying Genter’s name with the younger divers until she could say it easily, the gesture surprised and touched her.

In this undated photo, Kylie Genter, right, and her fellow divers are on a truck, ready to depart in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Courtesy of Kylie Genter

Fellow diver Choi Jung-yoon said Genter sets an example for younger recruits, putting the veterans first and helping without pulling rank.

“She always takes the initiative and quietly helps,” Choi said.

As diving partners, they watch each other descend and resurface, checking whether older colleagues look tired or need help getting ashore.

Hong, who leads the group and has been diving for 63 years, described Genter and Choi as “first-rate haenyeo,” praising their skill and courtesy.

Lessons from summer camp

Genter’s preparation for the work began, unexpectedly, in rural upstate New York.

She spent her first four years living at the summer camp where her father worked. Childhood meant playing in the woods, taking swimming lessons and, later, lifeguarding.

Even making friendship bracelets proved useful, as preparing diving equipment requires knowing how to tie knots.

“So everything is from that summer camp,” she said, laughing.

Her father supported her decision to become a haenyeo. Her mother initially worried about the danger, but began proudly telling others about her daughter’s work after reading books and articles about the divers.

Her young nephews found another reason for excitement: After spotting an octopus at Costco, during a family call they asked her how to catch and cook one.

In this undated photo, Kylie Genter, Jeju's first American haenyeo, poses near the ocean in Youngrak village, Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Courtesy of Kylie Genter

Diving into the future

For the next generation of haenyeo, continuing the tradition means earning enough to keep diving while adapting to a changing sea.

Away from the water, Genter runs a pet boarding business and gives talks about haenyeo. Choi performs and organizes stand-up comedy shows and secured a government grant for a village show that brought divers together to perform.

Jeju’s haenyeo bring lifetime of diving stories to comedy stage

Their overlapping commitments help them continue diving, but demand a delicate balance.

“You need to have other jobs to make money, but it can’t be something that takes up too much time that you can’t dive or can’t be available,” Genter said.

That effort makes portrayals of haenyeo as a disappearing figure particularly frustrating. To Genter, those accounts overlook younger women working multiple jobs to enter and remain in the profession.

“They have like two jobs, three jobs, four jobs,” she said. “They’re all working really hard to be able to achieve this goal.”

In this undated photo, Youngrak village haenyeo walk next to the road before diving in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Courtesy of Choi Jung-yoon

Hong’s concern is what will remain for them to harvest. The sea is profoundly different from the one she knew in her youth, she said. With the decline in vital marine species, she wonders how long newcomers can continue to dive and harvest.

Genter believes future divers will need to adjust to changing species, harvesting methods and rules while preserving resilience and caring for one another.

“Different things will come, and we will have to adapt to whatever new things are coming,” she said.

She hopes the sea will be different rather than empty — and that younger haenyeo will be recognized as people shaping the tradition, not simply inheriting its decline.

For Genter, that future rests on the collective life surrounding each dive: bathing together, eating together and looking out for one another. Her sense of kinship extends beyond Youngrak village to younger divers elsewhere that she follows online.

“If I see any haenyeo on Instagram, I automatically follow them. You are my sister, my comrade,” she said. “Every success that another haenyeo has is a success for all of us.”

美国海女凯莉·根特（Kylie Genter）自2024年1月加入济州岛永乐村的潜水社群以来，便在这里扎根。她通过帮助资深潜水员处理日常事务并在海上照看他们，赢得了他们的信任。根特在潜水之余也从事其他工作，她说年轻的潜水员们正在适应不断变化的环境，同时也在传承着这项传统。资深潜水员洪福女（Hong Bok-nyeo）则担心，海洋物种的减少可能会限制未来潜水员的捕捞量。

Genter 于 2012 年来到韩国担任英语教师，2016 年搬到济州岛，2018 年在旅游游客询问海女相关问题后，她对潜水产生了兴趣，于是报名参加了一所潜水学校。

Genter加入时，Youngrak村有8名海女在工作，其中4名于今年早些时候退休。

Genter经营宠物寄养业务并举办海女讲座；另一位潜水员Choi Jung-yoon表演并组织脱口秀。

拥有63年潜水经验的洪福女，最近一次的潜水成绩几乎是小组中其他任何人的两倍。

Genter表示，年轻的潜水员可能需要适应不断变化的物种、捕捞方法和规则，同时还要继续互相照顾。

发布于2026年10月21日下午1:09（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日下午1:29（韩国标准时间）

在经验丰富的潜水员的陪伴下，根特了解到，成为一名海女不仅仅意味着会潜水。

10月9日，济州岛首位美国海女凯莉·根特在济州岛西归浦市永乐里水边摆姿势拍照。图片由济州喜剧俱乐部提供。

济州岛西古浦——对于美国人凯莉·根特来说，去海滩不再是晒日光浴和游泳的休息日了。

相反，这里是她潜入水中采集鲍鱼和贝类以维持生计前，祈祷平安的地方。在别人眼中，这里是度假胜地，但在她看来，这里却是工作场所和充满无限可能的乐园。

自 2024 年 1 月起，她开始与女潜水员一起作为“海女”潜水，这份工作改变了她对大海的看法。

Genter于2012年以英语教师的身份来到韩国。2016年，她搬到了济州岛。在担任导游期间，她经常被问及海女，这促使她在2018年报名参加了一所潜水学校。后来，她得知永乐村正在招募年轻的潜水员，于是便从事了这份工作。

“我刚入行的时候，他们都不知道我的名字，”她在最近接受《韩国时报》采访时说道。老兵们会叫她“嘿”或者“美国小妞”。

在这个圈子里，根特找到了自己的角色——多一双力气大的帮手。起初，她努力学习当地的方言，但最终决定通过体力劳动来贡献力量。

在这张未注明日期的照片中，凯莉·根特和她的海女同伴们在济州岛西归浦市永乐村准备跳入水中。照片由凯莉·根特提供。

从上班第一天起，她就早早到岗，打扫更衣室，洗碗，帮忙把渔获物搬上岸，这种做法叫做“mulmajung”。她解释说，以前都是亲戚们提供这些帮助，但随着家人年老或搬走，潜水员们越来越多地互相帮忙。

“你要小心，因为你不想伤了他们的自尊心，”她说。

她们的社区规模很小，一个人的缺席都会影响到社区的氛围。Genter刚加入时，那里有八名海女工作；今年早些时候，其中四人退休了。

每一位留守的老兵，或者用济州方言来说就是“samchun”，都各具特色。

80岁的洪福女（Hong Bok-nyeo）在岸上和水下都表现出色，最近一次的渔获量几乎是其他人的两倍。70岁的赵福熙（Jwa Bok-hee）则帮助连接不同年龄段的人，她讲解方言，并回忆起过去海洋资源更加丰富的景象。79岁的金元玉（Kim Won-ok）懂得如何牢固地系好渔具，以及如何修补破损的潜水服。

88 岁的 Jwa Young-ja 与年轻的跳水运动员一起练习说出 Genter 的名字，直到她能轻松地说出这个名字，这一举动让她感到惊讶和感动。

这张未注明日期的照片中，凯莉·根特（右）和她的潜水伙伴们正坐在卡车上，准备从济州岛西归浦出发。照片由凯莉·根特提供。

另一位潜水员崔正允表示，根特为年轻的新兵树立了榜样，他把老兵放在第一位，并且不摆架子地帮助他们。

“她总是主动帮忙，默默付出，”崔说。

作为潜水伙伴，他们互相观察对方下潜和浮出水面，看看年长的同事是否看起来疲惫或需要帮助上岸。

带领这支队伍的洪女士已经有63年的潜水经验，她称赞根特和崔女士是“一流的海女”，并赞扬了她们的技能和礼貌。

夏令营的教训

根特为这项工作所做的准备工作，出乎意料地始于纽约州北部农村地区。

她最初的四年是在父亲工作的夏令营里度过的。童年意味着在树林里玩耍、学习游泳，后来还当过救生员。

就连制作友谊手链也派上了用场，因为准备潜水装备需要知道如何打结。

“所以所有东西都来自那个夏令营，”她笑着说。

她的父亲支持她成为海女的决定。她的母亲起初担心这份工作的危险性，但在阅读了一些关于海女的书籍和文章后，开始自豪地向别人讲述女儿的工作。

她的小侄子们又找到了一件让他们兴奋的事：在 Costco 看到一只章鱼后，他们在一次家庭电话会议中问她如何捕捉和烹饪章鱼。

这张未注明日期的照片中，济州岛首位美国海女凯莉·根特（Kylie Genter）在济州岛西归浦市永乐村海边摆姿势拍照。照片由凯莉·根特提供。

展望未来

对于新一代海女来说，传承这项传统意味着要挣足够的钱继续潜水，同时还要适应不断变化的海洋环境。

除了水上运动，Genter还经营宠物寄养生意，并举办海女讲座。Choi则表演和组织脱口秀，并争取到政府拨款举办乡村演出，让潜水员们齐聚一堂。

济州岛海女将她们一生的潜水故事搬上喜剧舞台

他们重叠的职责使他们能够继续潜水，但也需要保持微妙的平衡。

“你需要有其他工作来赚钱，但这些工作不能占用你太多时间，以至于你无法潜水或无法随时潜水，”Genter 说。

这种做法使得将海女描绘成正在消失的群体的说法尤其令人沮丧。在根特看来，这些说法忽略了年轻女性为了进入并留在海女这个行业而身兼数职的情况。

“他们可能同时做两份、三份、四份工作，”她说。“他们都在非常努力地工作，力求实现这个目标。”

这张未注明日期的照片显示，济州岛西归浦市永乐村的海女们在潜水前沿着路边行走。照片由崔正允提供。

洪女士担心的是，他们还能捕捞到什么。她说，如今的海洋与她年轻时记忆中的海洋已截然不同。随着重要海洋物种的减少，她不禁担忧，这些新来者还能继续潜水捕捞多久。

Genter认为，未来的潜水员需要适应不断变化的物种、捕捞方法和规则，同时保持韧性并互相照顾。

“未来会有不同的事情发生，我们必须适应任何新事物，”她说。

她希望大海会变得不一样，而不是空无一物——也希望年轻的海女们能被视为塑造这一传统的人，而不仅仅是继承其衰落的人。

对根特而言，未来取决于每次潜水所营造的集体生活：一起游泳、一起吃饭、互相照应。她的这种亲情纽带不仅限于扬拉克村，还延伸到她在网上关注的其他地方的年轻潜水员。

“如果我在Instagram上看到任何海女，我都会自动关注她们。你们是我的姐妹，我的同志，”她说。“其他海女取得的每一项成功，都是我们所有人的成功。”