Kylie Genter came to Korea in 2012 knowing nothing except Gangnam Style, chose Korea over Japan because she didn't want to find her own apartment, and somehow ended up as one of the only foreign Haenyeo in Jeju. She dives with the women of Yongnangni Village in the southwest, met her Korean husband at a language exchange that produced seven married couples, and runs a dog hotel as her main income. Sora announces she's been accepted into Haenyeo school, making Kylie her 선배님 (sunbaenim).

Key Takeaways

• How Kylie became Haenyeo: Attended Hansupul Haenyeo school in 2018 after a shamanism class instructor invited her. Her scuba instructor husband then found a village accepting young divers. Yongnangni initially said no to a foreigner, then called back a month later: "Come tomorrow for an interview." The older women didn't understand why a college graduate would do this, but after months of diving, they accepted her.
• Language exchange romance: Kylie met her husband at Seogwipo language exchange in 2018. Seven couples from that group got married. "Nobody had an intention to study."
• Yongnangni Village: Southwest Jeju, six young divers (rare for any village), very welcoming. The 삼촌 (samchon, elder divers) give her 25 onions or huge containers of kimchi randomly. "They have very kind and open hearts."
• Diving schedule: 물때 (Multae) = water cycle, about two weeks. Eight possible diving days per cycle. Only dive October to May (소라/conch season). Summer is sea urchin season but their sea urchins are too small. Must do 바다지킴이 (padajikimi, ocean protection) in summer, yelling at people illegally harvesting.
• Current export crisis: 70% of conch exports to Japan. The boat was sold with no backup, so January had no diving. Diving days shortened until resolved.
• Haenyeo Hangout podcast: Kylie co-hosts with JY (Korean-English translator) to share Haenyeo life in English. "I don't want people to think Haenyeo are these mysterious goddess things. We're all regular people."
• Hardest part of diving: "Everything looks like a rock." Dark ocean, dark stones, dark conch, dark sea urchins. The experienced Haenyeo don't see better; they know from experience where things are.
• Practical Jeju tips from Kylie: Get international driver's license for car rental. Bus routes can have one bus per day. Jeju is bigger than people think; plan ample travel time. Parking in Jeju City is painful.
• Reverse culture shock: Jinju people stared at foreigners constantly. Jeju natives are unfazed. "Yeah, OK. Go this way."

Lightning Round

• Favorite food: 방어회 (Bongeo-hoe) — amberjack/yellowtail sashimi
• Favorite place: Coastal road between Moseulpo and Gosan — best sunsets, most dolphins
• Favorite memory: First time seeing dolphins in the water (scary and exciting), and getting married (exciting, less scary)

Next Steps

• Check out Kylie's podcast: Haenyeo Hangout
• Plan your trip: vamosajeju.com/trip
• Got questions? We've got answers!: vamosajeju.com/ask

Sora accidentally "demotes" Ed from co-host to guest to announce her first solo tour: a Haenyeo wellness retreat on Jeju.

Ed negotiates a discount for listeners (starting at 50%, ending at... 70%?), and then they revisit their most popular clips from the past year.

Topics include the controversial stereotype about Jeju men, why "Olleh" means what it means, tangerine-picking etiquette, speed traps on coastal roads, the new K.ride taxi app for foreigners, and flying cheap from Gimpo to Jeju.

Key Takeaways

• Sora's Haenyeo Retreat: September 10-12, three days/two nights. Full day with Haenyeo at their village, interview sessions (Sora translates), seafood BBQ at the 불턱 (bulteok, traditional outdoor community center), Haenyeo theater performance, temple lunch with a monk, yoga and meditation. Two spots left. Listener discount available at vamosajeju.com/sora (redirects to jejuslowly.com).
• Most popular clip #1: Jeju men stereotype: From Episode 4. Sora was uncomfortable discussing the historical stereotype that Jeju men were lazy while Haenyeo women did the work. "젠더 감수성 (gender sensitivity)" is a big deal in Korea. She clarifies: "This is the stereotype for Jeju men in the past. These days in modern society, if they do this, they won't be able to get married."
• Most popular clip #2: What does "Olleh" mean?: From the Olleh Trail episode. Short clip, huge engagement. Ed: "I stopped trying to guess why."
• Most popular clip #3: Don't go to jail for an orange: Sora's title. Tangerine-picking is popular with city visitors, less so with Ed's family ("We picked blueberries and apples when they were kids").
• Speed traps: Ed dreads them. Sora's tip: Take the mountain roads instead of coastal roads to avoid speed cameras and traffic lights.
• K.ride app: New Kakao Taxi app for foreigners. Same service, no Korean phone number required.
• Flying to Jeju: Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday late-night flights are cheapest (around $20-25 USD). Incheon to Jeju direct flights now exist but are limited (one or two per week) and more expensive ($90 USD). Gimpo to Jeju is still easier, faster, and more frequent ("like taking a bus").
• Podcast origin story: Ed was in Oaxaca pitching a polyglot podcast idea. Sora already had a website called Vamos a Jeju. Ed: "You tricked me." Sora: "No, we were talking, talking, talking, and then Jeju..."

Clip Library

All clips organized by category at vamosajeju.com/clip: Foodie Culture, Jeju History, DIY Traveling Tips, Getting Around Jeju, Outdoor Jeju, and more!

Next Steps

• Sora's Haenyeo Retreat: vamosajeju.com/sora
• Clip library: vamosajeju.com/clip
• Got questions? We've got answers!: vamosajeju.com/ask

Ed and Sora wrap up their K-drama review series with Our Blues (우리들의 Blues), a 2022 ensemble drama set in a fictional Jeju fishing village. The series tackles depression, teenage pregnancy, Down syndrome representation, hyper-competitive parenting, and the suffocating nature of small-town life. Ed watched it twice; Sora quit after Episode 6 because "it was too heavy." The episode opens with Sora sharing that she was rejected by a Haenyeo village cooperative, which turns out to be a fitting transition into the show's themes.

Key Takeaways

• Writer Noh Hee-kyung: Known for warm, healing, family-focused dramas rather than typical romantic comedies. Some Koreans criticize her for being "preachy," but her ensemble slice-of-life style is harder to write and resonates deeply.
• Lee Byong-hun's character: A truck vendor who drives around selling pots, pans, and goods. Short-tempered, kind-hearted, carrying trauma from being the child of a mistress. His sales pitch recordings ("fry pan, fry pan") and his mannequin-modeling of ajumma clothes are comedic highlights.
• Depression storyline (Shin Mina's character): Used imagery of drowning and suffocation. The character attempts suicide by jumping off a jetty; Haenyeos rescue her. Five years ago in Korea, people couldn't openly discuss depression without stigma. Now conversations are more common. Ed admits he used to make fun of depressed people when he was younger. Sora shares she had a period of depression during grad school during the pandemic.
• 기러기 아빠 (Kirogi Appa, "Wild Goose Father"): The phenomenon where fathers work in Korea while mothers and children live abroad (often in the US) for education. The fact that Korean has a specific word for this shows how common it was. Sora's corporate boss was a Kirogi Appa who avoided going home because no one was there.
• Down syndrome representation: An actress with Down syndrome played a character with Down syndrome. Koreans were surprised and impressed. The handsome boat captain (Kim Woo-bin) apologizes for his shocked reaction: "I've never seen anyone with Down syndrome. I never learned what to do. If you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry." Ed: "Hats off to the producers for being so inclusive."
• Teenage pregnancy: Two high school students, both top of their class (she was #1, he was #2), get pregnant. She wanted to escape to Seoul because "everyone knows each other and it's choking me." The small-town gossip culture: "In small towns, they know how many spoons and chopsticks you have at home."
• Mainlander Haenyeo: A young Haenyeo from the mainland struggles to be accepted by the cooperative. Sora: "Now I am in that process... I know it would be really difficult to get in as an outsider, as someone who is not from Jeju, also not from that village specifically."
• Small-town trade-off: Young people from Seoul move to Jeju for community and connection. But if the connection gets too deep, they pull back. Ed: "If I move to Jeju, I'm gonna purposely keep this 외국인 (foreigner) persona... 'You're in my business? I don't speak Korean now.'"

Next Steps

• K-drama shooting locations: vamosajeju.com/trip (Our Blues was filmed all over the island)
• Got questions? We've got answers!: vamosajeju.com/ask