[7][non-primary source needed] With each dive, haenyeo plunge up to 20 metres (66 ft) deep and can hold their breath for over three minutes.

[4]: 101  The first mention of female divers in literature does not come until the 17th century, when a monograph of Jeju geography describes them as jamnyeo (literally "diving women").

For instance, in the 17th century, a significant number of men died at sea due to war or deep-sea fishing accidents, meaning that diving became the work of women.

[1]: 1 [13] Another explanation is that women tend to have more subcutaneous fat and a higher shivering threshold than men, making them better suited to work in cold waters.

[4]: 101  An 18th century document records that taxes of dried abalone were imposed on ordinary people, forcing many women to dive in cold waters while pregnant.

On Yeonpyeong-ri, an island near Incheon where many haenyeo worked, their wages, on average, constituted 40 to 48 percent of a typical family's total income.

[9] The prominent place of haenyeo in Jeju's economy and in their individual family units continued long after Japanese colonization.

[9] In addition, education opportunities and attractive positions in emerging industries are considered to have deterred younger girls from becoming haenyeo.

[7][9] On the tiny islets off the coast of Jeju, such as Mara Island, where sea-diving was the sole source of income, this reversal of traditional gender roles was fully realized; men would look after the children and go shopping while the women would bring in money for the family.

Furthermore, during the era of colonial rule, haenyeo remained peasants, never moving up the chain to become small-business owners or managers of seafood manufacturing plants.

The Korean government shows its appreciation for the unique contributions of the haenyeo to Jeju's culture by subsidizing their gear and granting them exclusive rights to sell fresh seafood.

[citation needed] Directed by Koh Heeyoung Breathing Underwater was a documentary that was produced as part of wider efforts to raise awareness of, and UNESCO listing for the culture of haenyo.