By Lee Kap-soo

First Lady Kim Keun-hee met with Haenyeo (female divers) at the Haenyeo Rest House in Jongdal fishing village, Jeju City on Oct. 6.

The meeting was attended by more than 10 people, including officials from the Jeju Haenyeo Association, young haenyeo who returned from Seoul, and middle-aged and elderly haenyeo who have been engaged in haenyeo fishing in Jeju for many years. 

Mrs. Kim listened to the lives and woes of these women, who have lived by the sea for many years, and expressed her respect and gratitude to them for maintaining their traditions under difficult conditions. 

Currently, haenyeo and Jeju haenyeo fishing and culture are designated as National Intangible Cultural Property No. 132, National Important Fishery Heritage No. 1, and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, respectively.
 

Ms. Kim then visited Gwangchigi Beach in Seogwipo, Jeju, and participated in a pet beach cleanup. Pet Beach is a beach adoption program in which companies, schools, and organizations voluntarily adopt a specific beach and care for it like a pet, and is a marine environment protection campaign that started in Jeju and is spreading across the country. 

Mrs. Kim, who has always been very interested in environmental issues, including participating in the 'Bye Bye Plastic' campaign, deeply appreciated the purpose of the Pet Beach campaign, which is based on the voluntary participation of citizens, and participated in a cleanup activity at Gwangchigi Beach, picking up small plastic trash, along with the local pet beach adoption organization and officials from the Jeju Saemaul Association.

Also, Kim met with civil society organizations and experts working to protect marine animals at the Jeju Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. She heard about their efforts to protect and preserve endangered marine protected species such as bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles, and discussed ways to promote marine biodiversity.