Illustrated family history from South Korea: Diving through the generations

The story of these so-called Haenyeo, which means “sea women”, was written by the Korean comic artist and illustrator Jeong-in Mun in her autobiographical graphic novel “Long Breath”. (from Korean by Sera Kuk, Rotopol, 220 pages, 28 euros) impressively processed. In it she describes the life of her grandmother Chunja, who found a way to escape poverty with the centuries-old tradition of “Muljil”, diving for seafood.

Life full of deprivation

At the same time, the hardships associated with this, but also their wealth of experiences, shaped the entire family. It is also the story of three generations of women that Jeong-in Mun tells. The personal experience of each individual is part of it.

Since the family has less and less food, the single mother of three children has to come up with something. Like many other women in South Korea in the 1960s, Chunja begins with “Muljil” – hard, physical work that is not without danger: without an oxygen tank and with minimal equipment, the women dive down to a depth of 20 meters into the sea. Like a freediver, they have to train themselves to hold their breath for as long as possible. For the women, this strenuous activity means, above all, economic independence: because they can later sell mussels, crabs, squid or algae.

Every day Chunja goes out to sea on a boat with a group of other Haenyeo. From morning to night there is one dive after another. She stubbornly pursues her goal. “If the others dive once, I dive twice. Three times. Until my breath becomes a long breath,” Chunja puts it like a mantra.

Poetic-looking images

Little by little she makes the sea her own. The artist, who lives in France, has created some poetic images for her smooth movements under water, her body coexisting with animals and plants in this special sphere. For example, when a network of algae surrounds Chunja or she visually merges with a dolphin. Over the course of several panels, a dragonfly transforms into a diver on its way into the sea. A beautiful metaphor for the lightness and elegance with which Jeong-in Mun’s grandmother seems to move through the water as if in flight.

The black and white drawings pay respect and admiration to the Haenyeo culture, which is practiced exclusively by women and was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2016. “Long Breath” is Jeong-in Mun’s first graphic novel.

The comic artist interweaves the sea scenes with moments from the family’s everyday life, thus also bringing out the darker sides. With just a few words and expressive imagery it becomes clear what Chunja’s work meant for her children: primarily the absence of their mother.

Because of their commitment to securing the family’s livelihood, there is little room for the concerns of their children. The mother is not there when the children come home. She doesn’t have time to come to school for parents’ day. The three siblings are also alone at home, while their mother, surprised by a storm, fights for her survival out at sea.

Childhood memories, dream sequences

In a clever parallel montage, scenes from the sea with pouring rain and strong waves contrast the children’s anxious wait for their mother in the family home. The barren setting reinforces her forlornness. The looks are fixed. In one image, the children appear tiny in the otherwise empty shell of the house.

Jeong-in Mun tells all this without judgment. Her drawings, made with fine lines, depict the reality of the family’s life. Each of the three women from three generations is given their own voice and thus has the opportunity to describe the past and present from their own perspective, often in inner monologues.

The comic artist allows different time levels to flow together, including childhood memories, flashbacks and short dream sequences. She also sensitively reproduces dialogues between grandmother and granddaughter. Existential themes come up: it’s about Chunja’s hopelessness in the face of the difficulty of raising her children in poor conditions.

A new life in Europe

Jeong-in, on the other hand, left her homeland to gain a foothold as an artist in Europe. Although the lives of both women could hardly be more different, they both experience feelings of loneliness and sadness, as they reveal in conversation.

But above all, the connecting element between the generations is the sea. Even as a child, Jeong-in felt safe diving in deep water. “Because grandma’s sea would always look after me,” she gives insight into her thoughts. Chunja, who continues to practice her profession in old age, passed on her knowledge to her granddaughter and made her aware of the beauty of nature. This obviously also shaped Jeong-in Mun as an artist.

In one scene she can be seen as a teenager picking up a crab on the beach. As if in a detailed photograph, she focuses her attention on the animal’s special patterns and shapes. This creates references to abstract painting. At the same time, such images convey humility and respect for the sea as a habitat.

This is increasingly at risk due to climate change and environmental destruction. This is also discussed in the comic. The resulting poorer harvests contribute to the continuous decline in the number of haenyeo. Another reason is that mothers can now give their daughters a less hard life. With her multi-layered graphic novel, Jeong-in Mun pays tribute to her grandmother and all other Haenyeo.