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Actress Song Ji-hyo says ‘My mental strength broke down’ making free diver documentary
In Deep Dive Korea, Running Man regular Song Ji-hyo trains as a free diver like those depicted in K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines
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Actress Song Ji-hyo takes on the challenge of becoming a haenyeo, a woman free diver who harvests seafood, on South Korea’s Jeju Island in the JTBC-BBC joint documentary series Deep Dive Korea: Song Ji-hyo’s Haenyeo Adventure.
In the three-part documentary, Song – best known for her appearance in Korea’s longest-running variety show, Running Man – free dives alongside the veteran female divers with whom she shares a unique bond.
Jeju’s haenyeo culture, with a history dating back at least 400 years, was recognised for its unique cultural value and was listed as part of Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
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They are women who, even into their eighties, dive as deep as 20 metres (66 feet) without oxygen masks or modern equipment to collect shellfish to support both their families and their way of life. Recently, the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines featured the story of the haenyeo, drawing significant public interest.
The actress, whose aunt was a haenyeo, recalled the moment she received the project proposal. “I immediately felt like it was meant for me. I wanted to do it so much that I hoped no one else would take it if I couldn’t,” she said this week.
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