The American Haenyeo: How a Teacher Found Her Calling on Jeju Island

Genter’s journey began in 2012, when she moved to Jinju to teach after graduating from SUNY Oswego. What was intended to be a temporary stint evolved into a permanent life in South Korea. By 2018, her curiosity about the Haenyeo—legendary divers who work without modern breathing apparatus—led her to pursue the trade. The path to certification proved grueling: she was required to log 50 days of diving within a year, sell 1.2 million won (approximately $884) worth of catch, and earn a unanimous vote from her village peers.

While her colleagues are mostly in their 70s and 80s, Genter balances the physical toll of the ocean with her work running a pet hotel and tutoring. Although the trade pays only about $2,000 annually—far less than her former teaching career—she finds a sense of focus underwater that the modern world cannot provide. By choosing this traditional, labor-intensive lifestyle, Genter has committed herself to a community that has preserved its maritime heritage for generations, trading the digital noise of daily life for the meditative rhythm of the tide.