This week in Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at a traditional fishing vessel unique to Jeju. The tewoo is a small raft once used by fishermen and haenyeo. And as we’ll see now, its design is uniquely suited to the island’s ocean wind and tidal conditions.




[Report]

Fishing has always been an important part of Jeju life. One of the island’s unique early fishing vessels, the tewoo, is especially noteworthy in this regard.


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Made of fir logs from Hallasan

On the face of it, the tewoo is just a basic, rectangular-shaped raft. It was made from logs of cedar, though in centuries past, Korean firs from Hallasan Mountain were used.

The tewoo is so small it can be manned by only a small number of fishermen. But if we look a little more closely, we can see its design is perfect for the waters around Jeju.

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Traditionally used for net fishing, transporting haenyeo

The tewoo served many roles. Haenyeo would take them out to their diving areas off the coast. It was also a good way to transport supplies between island settlements, especially when Jeju had very few passable roads.

As a fishing boat, it was used to harvest seaweed and cast nets to catch schools of anchovies and damselfish. Sometimes groups of tewoo would work together to force their catch into a smaller and smaller area of a net, then scoop them into baskets on the deck.

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Todd Thacker

Though the tewoo is no longer used day-to-day, there are demonstrations held during island festivals which organizers hope preserve the traditional spirit of the Jeju fishermen and women, as well as the island’s fishing and marine culture. The tewoo is certainly one of Jeju’s iconic cultural heritages.

Todd Thacker KCTV