Documentary Spotlights South Korea's Haenyeo and Their Battle to Preserve Tradition

Sue Kim's film 'The Last of the Sea Women' explores the enduring spirit of Jeju Island's female divers amid environmental and cultural challenges.

Sue Kim's documentary, now streaming on Apple TV+, highlights the haenyeo, South Korea's traditional female free divers, who are facing cultural decline and environmental threats.
Once numbering 30,000 in the 1960s, the haenyeo population has dwindled to around 4,000, with most divers now being elderly women.
The film showcases the haenyeo's activism against environmental issues, including their protests against Japan's release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The haenyeo's unique matriarchal culture on Jeju Island has empowered women for centuries as primary breadwinners and guardians of the ocean.
Malala Yousafzai's production company played a crucial role in bringing the documentary to fruition, emphasizing themes of female empowerment and environmental stewardship.