This untiled mermaid statue is located adjacent to Dragon Head Rock. This is likely a tribute to haenyeo, the Korean name for female sea-divers. While in the water for hours at a time, and able to hold their breath for up to three minutes, they catch a host of fish and marine life for sale to local markets. These incredible women are not an aberration on Jeju Island. Instead, during the 19th and 20th centuries, it became a female-dominated industry. The highly-paid career made them the primary income earner in many local households while their unemployed husbands stayed home. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these women are now over 50 years old. In another decade or two, they may become a historic memory.
