Song Ji-hyo has been a household name among fans of Korean entertainment. She is most known as being the original female member of popular variety series Running Man. Beloved by fans for her strong will, charisma, beauty, and fiery spunk, she is fondly known as ‘the Ace’ of the show. Ji-hyo is also a prominent South Korean actress and entrepreneur.
But in her latest documentary Deep Dive Korea, Ji-hyo will shed her star image for a new challenge: becoming one of South Korea’s famed haenyeo divers. The haenyeo are female deep divers native to Jeju Island who collect sea urchins and conches. They are also a big part of Jeju’s cultural heritage, with a history dating back to the 17th century, and have been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The haenyeo are able to hold their breath underwater for up to 3 minutes and are trained from as young as 10. Most haenyeo are in their 60s and above but Jihyo will have to go through mental and physical training of up to 30 years in just one month. But determined as ever, Ji-hyo will face it all to become a haenyeo diver.
In the first episode, Ji-hyo travels to Jeju Island to begin her journey as a haenyeo. Her trademark sense of humour and charm keep the episode exciting and fun. The episode also gives a good introduction to who and what the haenyeo are and their history with Jeju Island. Seeing Ji-hyo trying to win the hearts of senior samchuns (haenyeo mentors) will show a new side of her to fans. Hearing the stories of the elder haenyeos will reveal the emotional journeys of the legendary female divers of South Korea.
We recently sat down with the Running Man star for a chat on all things haenyeo.
Why did you decide to showcase the haenyeo with this documentary?
The haenyeo are an important part of Korea’s cultural heritage—strong, resilient women divers who continue to work well into their 80s. Their lives are deeply tied to the sea and the island of Jeju, and to me, every line on their face tells a story. With Deep Dive Korea, I wanted to honour their history and spirit, and introduce them to the world by sharing their pain, wisdom, and life experiences.
When you met the haenyeo, how did you earn their trust and respect?
I actually asked one of the haenyeo I became close with, Kang Hye-ri, this exact question. Her advice was simple: “Just say yes to everything we ask.” So that’s what I did! I smiled a lot, stayed humble, and tried to be as approachable and sincere as possible.
Slowly but surely, they started to open up. It wasn’t immediate – after all, these are seasoned professionals, many with over 30 years of experience, and here I was, an outsider stepping into their world. I knew I had to earn their trust by showing them my effort.
There are different ranks among the haenyeo: sanggun (senior), who can dive up to 20 metres; junggun (mid-level), who go up to 10; and haggun (junior), diving around 7 metres. I started at the very bottom: tonggun which they jokingly call the ‘poo rank’ (laughs). But I embraced it. I humbled myself, and they welcomed me, taught me their ways, and shared their wisdom generously. The oldest samchun I trained with was over 80, and I have immense respect for the physical and emotional challenges they face every single day.
In the first episode you said you had to prepare mentally, what was running through your mind when you first when in the water?
The one word that anchored me was: focus. I tried to recall every piece of advice the senior haenyeo had given me, even in casual conversations. How to deal with pain underwater, how to kick properly, how to read the current.
What you see on screen might seem effortless, but the reality was far from it. At even just 5 to 10 metres deep, the water pressure is intense—it felt like my whole body was being flattened like piece of paper.
Before diving in, I reminded myself that I had a responsibility to do justice to the haenyeo’s image and show the world their strength. In episodes two and three, you’ll see more of my struggles. I caught a cold, my body ached all over, but I knew I had to persevere. I made a promise to the haenyeo, and I was determined to keep it.
What advice did your samchun Park Mi-jung give you that helped you to dive better?
Mi-jung samchun gave me so much encouragement, but one moment in particular really stayed with me. She said, “You’ve earned this. You’ve worked hard, and now you are one of us.” That meant the world to me.
There was also a special moment when I wrote my name on my taewak (buoy) for the first time. The samchun who made it told me to write Hadori next to my name, marking me as a haenyeo from that village. Being accepted into their community like that was unforgettable.
Song Ji-hyo and her samchun (mentor) Park Mi-jung.
Do you still keep in touch with the samchun?
Yes I do! In fact, I had a call with Mi-jung samchun this morning. I try my best to keep in touch with the haenyeos.
What were the most beautiful sights you saw under the water?
There were so many breathtaking moments. One that really stayed with me was seeing dolphins leaping out of the sea as I arrived and departed from Jeju. It felt like they were greeting me and then saying farewell. I made a wish each time.
In episodes two and three, you’ll see me diving with a large school of fish. They would follow me around, especially when I was searching for sea urchins. I like to think they saw me as their guide to food! It was surreal, swimming with them in such harmony.
Were you able to keep your wetsuit and taewak ( buoy) as a memento from the experience?
Yes, I did! I kept the wetsuit at home as a reminder of everything I went through. My taewak remains in Jeju with the samchuns to remind them of me. As long as it’s there, I’ll always have a place among them, and I can dive with them again whenever I go back.
Deep Dive Korea: Song Ji-hyo’s Haenyeo Adventure premieres Sunday, 11th May at 9PM on BBC Earth, available on UnifiTV channel 501, Astro channel 554 and BBC Player.
(All images by BBC Earth)
