Jeju Divers as Models of Modern Korean Women in Korean Media Under the Japanese Colonial Rule

Abstract

This study examines the challenging lives and roles of Jeju divers as independent modern women reflected in Korean media during the Japanese colonial era, by analyzing the articles in Maeil-shinbo, the only Korean newspaper at the time. Jeju woman divers were registered as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016 and have great significance as a leading model in the beginning of modern Korean women. In previous studies, Jeju divers have been treated as a unique lifestyle and cultural construct formed in the special environment of the island region. However, they pursued a pioneering and progressive life despite the double oppressive structure of the colonial rule and the feudal tradition that restrained women. They became independent economic agents by enduring extreme labor in the dangerous environment of the deep sea, and also resisted power without being silent about the exploitation and oppression of the colonists. And through the organization of voluntary decision-making bodies, they themselves protected their rights and interests in economic activities.