The latest generation of the Korean mermaids

Korean tradition of deep-sea diving for oysters, sea cucumbers, abalone, sea urchins, and squid originates from the fifth century of our era. Initially it was a men's profession, which is not surprising. However, in the XVIII century giraldez, who were called Hana, or "sea women," became much more than divers.

Diving is not easy. Jane had to go down to twenty meters into the icy water without any equipment, holding the breath for more than two minutes. Achieving excellence in this skill, many women have become the main breadwinner of the family, replacing their husbands.

In 2016, the tradition gene still exists, although it is unlikely that she had long to live. Photographer from new York Mija Kim decided to capture persistent women who have dedicated their lives to the skill of diving. "These women divers are stored Korean heritage, they are the last generation gene," says the photographer.

The younger generation of Koreans who grew up in the Islands, where once lived Hana, now moved to the mainland, trying to get an education or a more modern profession. In 2010, a large part of the endangered population gene were older than 70 years, and the next generation of women were not trained in the skill, so to change them to no one.

Kim is also from South Korea. She sees photography as a tool for a story about their cultural heritage. It was particularly struck by gene that despite the antiquity of the tradition and strict professional ethics, a little-known outside the country.

To remove this photo shoot was not easy. Kim had to get up at four in the morning to accompany Jane in their travel to the underwater world. She was spending on the road for two hours to reach by car in the winter, the County Cidian, where in 2013, for example, the temperature dropped to two degrees below zero. But winter is the season of sea urchins, and it was at this time Jane go hunting.

"The first day I tried to take a picture under the water, and it was the most difficult day of shooting. I thought I was a good swimmer. I was very confident and excited about the opportunity to shoot under water, but there is a difficult situation. I couldn't even keep up with them. They were like a young mermaid, as fast and flexible. I don't even see any of the sea urchin, because in the water they look like the stones."

The resulting Kim series of images shows Hane directly in the case and after diving, the intensity of their operating mode and their emotions. On the faces of the mermaids in tight wet suits clearly read fatigue, and their eyes are full of tears.

"I want to share not only their feminine beauty but also for the courage with which they meet life's challenges," says the photographer. She hopes to continue to remove Jane, next time you go to South Korea.