“Haenyeo” refers to women divers who forage the seabeds. Jeju Island had a lot of haenyeo in the past, almost at least one haenyeo in each house or family, and naturally, haenyeo culture became a great part of Jeju people’s identity. If you want to learn about the “Culture of Jeju Haenyeo,” which is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, visit Haenyeo’s Kitchen. Enjoy a special meal of seafood foraged by haenyeo and their real stories.

Born and grown in the house of a haenyeo and made “Jeju Haenyeo Dining Performance”

“Jeju Haenyeo Dining Performance” is the first of its kind in Korea that combines performances with food based on the stories of haenyeo. This novel idea came from the brain of a descendant of a haenyeo’s bloodline who majored in acting. CEO Kim Ha-won, who founded Haenyeo's Kitchen, hails from Jeju Island and has many haenyeo family members, such as her grandmother and aunts. This made her to watching haenyeo’s life while growing up. She majored in acting at the Korea National University of Arts, the most representative entertainer-developing institute in Korea, and realized the difficult reality that haenyeo faced. Seafoods foraged by haenyeo, such as conch, are highly dependent on export income, so their sales volume and prices fluctuate according to the situations of the importing countries. To overcome this issue, she decided to spread the values of seafood foraged by haenyeo to tourists visiting Jeju. She planned to add culture and art factors in which she excels to the flavors of Jeju that tourists love. That is how real haenyeo and young artists created a dinner show restaurant Haenyeo’s Kitchen.

Moving people’s hearts with the most down-to-earth Jeju content

When you arrive at Haenyeo’s Kitchen, you’ll realize how unique the space is. Because it used to be an old seafood consignment sales warehouse that was abandoned for a long time. CEO Kim chose this building because she wanted to deliver stories of haenyeo in a space where they took place.The program consists of haenyeo play, seafood stories, a meal by haenyeo, and a conversation with haenyeo. Haenyeo play tells true stories of haenyeo. The play tells the stories of four haenyeo, including one who followed her mother’s footsteps and became a haenyeo and another who had to give up on her studies to support her family. One of them is 90 years old, the oldest surviving haenyeo. They hit your hearts because their stories are real.After enjoying the show, you learn about seafood foraged by haenyeo from the sea, such as conch, sea hare, and sea urchin. The process of foraging, how to differentiate males from females, and the cooking process are described in detail. Meals provided are seafood foraged by haenyeo and traditional Jeju food made with agricultural produce they grew themselves. Guests can enjoy savory and wholesomely healthy Jeju food, such as hijiki and black sesame porridge, braised cutlassfish, conch skewers, and agar-agar jelly. Lastly, you can converse with haenyeo. Guests can ask questions, and haenyeo will answer. Haenyeo's Kitchen offers unique stories of Jeju Island and is a great success in Jeju, catering to tourists who want to have a special experience. It is loved by Koreans and foreign visitors alike, and seats are sold out often.