 Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Liz Wade. And I'm Colin Louther. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live. A woman walks to the beach on Jeju Island, South Korea. She is going to work. The woman wears a black wetsuit that covers her whole body. She has a mask on her face to keep water out of her eyes. She dives deep down into the water. She does not have an oxygen tank. She holds her breath. The woman gathers shellfish from the bottom of the ocean. Then she swims back to the surface with her catch. She will do this up to 100 times this day. And she is 70 years old. This woman is part of the henyo. In Korean, this means sea women. There are thousands of henyo on Jeju Island. Today's spotlight is on these strong women of the sea. Jeju Island is mostly made of black volcanic rock. Before modern farming equipment, people could not grow much food here. So they dove into the sea for food. Many creatures live in shells deep in the ocean. The people of Jeju ate and sold this shellfish to support their families. But by the 1600s, many men from Jeju left the island. They went to fight or to work on ships. The work of diving for shellfish became a job for women, the henyo. The money earned from the henyo's shellfish trade is a large part of Jeju's economy. But being a henyo is also a way of life. They have a deep respect for the ocean. They also have a close connection to each other. And the henyo hold a special place in Korean society. Here, it is not common for women to do physical work as the main support for their families. A henyo's work is very physically and mentally challenging. The sea is very cold. It moves with currents and waves. In the past, women dove in light cotton clothing. Today, the henyo have diving masks and wetsuits. But these smell very strongly and the women are often sick from the sea. Working in the ocean is also very dangerous. They dive up to 6 hours a day. The henyo must hold their breath for up to 2 minutes at a time. Diving can cause injury and even death. The New York Times reports that in the last 10 years, more than 40 henyo have died. This danger is one reason why the number of henyo is decreasing. Many modern Korean girls do not want to do such dangerous physical work. The New York Times reports that in the 1960s, there were 26,000 henyo. There are now only about 4,500. And the working henyo are growing old. 84% of them are over the age of 60. But people are interested in henyo culture, both in South Korea and around the world. Brenda Pak Sonu lives on Jeju Island. She wrote a book called Moon Tides, Jeju Island, Grannies of the Sea. She explains to the travel website, Roads and Kingdoms... Over the past 15 years or so, the respect for the henyo has risen. The henyo's gift is not just economic. It is social. It is cultural. The henyo are an important symbol of traditional culture. They show the values of hard work, independence and community. Some people may look down on the henyo because they do physical labor. Other people respect their hard work and position in society. The henyo are a special combination of strength and gentleness. And there are some good things about being a henyo. They have a way to make money that gives them financial independence. Henyo are also part of an important social community. Chie Chie is a young single mother. She used to work in the capital city Seoul, but she returned to Chie Chie to work as a henyo. She says that the best part of the work is the support from the other women. Chie tells Roads and Kingdoms... When I was in Seoul, I did not like people. When I became a woman diver, I liked people again. Chie is one of the few younger henyo. But it is possible that in the future, there will be no henyo left. It takes a long time to train new divers. And not enough women are making the same choice that Chie has. Yang Hee Boom is a government official on Chie Chie. He told The New York Times... Most of the henyo will be gone in 20 years, unless more women join them. The government on Chie Chie Island is working to save the tradition of the henyo. They opened a henyo museum in 2006. And since 2015, the Chie Chie government helps the henyo pay for equipment and accident and medical insurance. Globally, people also respect and support the henyo. In 2016, the divers gained the title of UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognizes the special spirit of the henyo. It also awards their good methods. They are always careful of the environment. Sometimes, they do not dive for shellfish, even if they could make a lot of money. This way, they protect the natural balance of the ocean. Brenda Sonu talks about how this also protects the henyo. They have to use faith to know when to stop, to have enough breath to come up slowly, to not take too much time to take that final sea urchin or abalone that is trapped under the rock. The henyo show the world courage and patience. They also show the importance of balance. They must balance their lives above and below water. They must balance the money they get with environmental health. This wisdom and practice of balance keeps the women of the seas alive. The future will show whether their tradition stays alive as well. Have you ever heard of these women? Are there similar communities in your area? You can leave a comment on our website or email us at radio at radioenglish.net. You can also comment on Facebook at facebook.com slash spotlight radio. The writer of this program was Reena Dam. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called See Women of South Korea. Visit our website to download our free app for Android and Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.