First lady Kim Keon Hee visited the southern island of Jeju on Friday to meet with a group of female divers, known as "haenyeo" in Korean, and learn about their long-held traditions and culture, the presidential office said.
Haenyeo are women divers who make their living harvesting seafood from the ocean floor by hand without the use of breathing equipment. Jeju's haenyeo culture was listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2016.
The presidential office said Kim visited a haenyeo's lounge, where she met with around a dozen divers, including a young diver who moved back from Seoul, and middle-aged and elderly divers with years of experience working in Jeju.
During the meeting, she listened to stories of the joys and sorrows of living as a haenyeo, and expressed her respect and gratitude to the women for preserving their culture amid difficult conditions, the presidential office said.
The first lady later visited Gwangchigi Beach on the island's east coast and helped pick up plastic trash as part of a beach cleaning project.
She also met with civic groups and experts working to protect endangered marine animals to discuss ways to increase marine biodiversity.
The first lady has shown a keen interest in environmental and animal rights issues, and actively taken part in events to promote awareness.
Source: Yonhap News Agency