I sat, watched and followed the sounds they made as they were getting ready. Their gentle steps on the shore of the ocean intrigued me as they were suiting up to go for their famous dive; the ocean waves smacking against the rocks, they were ready. On the shores of (Songsan), or as it is better known, the sunrise peak, just like that they disappeared inside the ocean. They are the haenyo women divers of Jeju. You can call them, the mermaids of the island. They can hold their breath for two minutes plus.
When the waves are favorable, they dive to collect sea treasures: abalone, sea urchins, octopus, seaweed and shellfish. This labor was and still is their primary source of income for their families. Why them or why women? Taxation laws were too high for the men to do it but not so for women. Their diving adventures are legendary. It was quite a site to see and taste for a small price, the octopus they caught.
Their statues are everywhere on the island to commemorate their long history and dangerous dives. These women like many icons of admiration die young because of the dangers that come with their occupation.
With an area of about 700 plus square miles (1,126 sq km), Jeju-do lies 60 miles (100 km) southwest of South Korea. It is an exotic island of about $20 million or in distributing businesses, about $10 million is tourism businesses and $30 million in high tech industries.
- tax exemption (corporate tax and income tax) 100% for 5 years, 50% for 2 years
- property tax exemption 100% for 15 years
- exempted from registration tax, acquisition tax and import tariff
- leasing government owned land for 50 years (renewable), rent reduction within 100%
Jeju Island Incentives, Foreign Investors
Let us map it
[google-map-sc address="Jeju Island, South Korea"]
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