https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/comments daily 0.75 2026-03-26 https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/comments/guestbook monthly 0.5 2020-10-29 https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/the-story daily 0.75 2020-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602968643081-BDI9KLPPY3SD0UXO1KHX/MERMAID+cover.jpg Story - A coming-of-age story wrapped up in a war yarn and survivor’s tale On the eve of the Korean War, Junja Goh is a young haenyeo, a female diver who forages for seafood in the waters of Jeju Island, South Korea. The peaceful life of her family is shattered by the arrival of American troops. To survive, Junja faces agonizing choices, with consequences that will reverberate for decades—and beyond. https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/home daily 1.0 2020-10-26 https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/research daily 0.75 2020-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602739894916-AXM4WID2HJE2929GS1EE/doorway+altar+for+the+kut.JPG Research Doorway Altar for the Kut https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602739900605-1GS1AJ11V2KYR1N77UE8/main+altar+for+a+kut.JPG Research Main Altar for a Kut https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602739901848-DR99NZ78ZE5O23EYKGJY/shaman+at+the+start+of+the+kut.JPG Research Shaman at the Start of the Kut https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602739902652-SJBGLUFEQDENXZON6PL5/altar+for+the+gods+at+a+kut.JPG Research Altar for the Gods at Kut https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741075587-JB8Y8F3QYEVJK9WQERIZ/diving+photo+1.JPG Research Elders gathering seaweed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918844695-Z7E6EYHZ6OEI003V3JBC/Stone+grandfather.JPG Research Stone Grandfather https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741076031-XS1771JWZ7UJLLO43Q6Q/diving+photo+2.jpg Research Divers taking to the water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918847088-U9H4CV22S8XG5EABMYDR/Traditional+Jeju+House.JPG Research Traditional Jeju House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741074924-2VFKLFMAK58TLRHGYIIC/diving+photo+3.jpg Research Anyone recognise this photo? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741597473-CVSAVOO91704AP1S3NHN/IMG_5358.JPG Research An old-fashioned Kut ceremony, held outside on Jeju Island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741601224-NBSA2W9RQNIH5WEJILUP/IMG_5345.jpg Research A weaver making the straw shoes Junja borrows from her mother at the start of Chapter 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918844157-JSX8QTWRV6DX5D7CQ63S/Lonely+Rock.JPG Research Lonely Rock https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918842618-PWWREGCZ8AZ5HQ458WLD/Getting+ready+to+dive.JPG Research Getting ready to dive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741705964-WFGDDO3GN1P0QHWSVTZ3/IMG_5337.JPG Research On her trip to the mountain, Junja is wearing a wooden rack like this one, but instead of an open basket, she has a large lidded wicker container attached to hers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918835076-1MI1EDINQKR2P2EZ205P/Shellfish+picks.JPG Research Shellfish Picks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603918849365-3Q5259BB7DXUMXRHPXBD/Traditional+well.JPG Research Traditional Well https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602741490391-F0TEHWUETCEL48MKK1BA/IMG_5338+copy.jpg Research “Baby haenyeo” around 12 years old, Junja’s age in Chapter One. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602739660418-3UHG6NSJNXRPGVIHIUXR/haenyeo+2.JPG Research A diver in her 20s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1602904949831-E4NXGA9YRNI2KREXXT41/IMG_6534.JPG Research A traditional bulteok, or enclosure where haenyeo made their fires and changed. This one is on Gappado Island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603920398701-HMEYMP12IPKCW27YBHZ7/Me+at+Dragon+Rock%2C+on+my+very+first+trip.JPG Research - Me at Dragon Rock, on my very first trip https://www.mermaidfromjeju.com/the-author daily 0.75 2020-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f78d6fdb9a6a855a40d9398/1603758027010-6HZSWO724NSUO4BGOE2X/Kate+Roberge+Photography_Sumi_Hadn-11.jpeg Author - Hi, Sumi Hahn here. I’ve spent many years of my life wanting to write, learning to write, thinking about writing, despairing about writing, writing, or throwing my writing away. These activities took me from a girlhood in Columbus, Ohio, to my current life in New Zealand, where my dream is to plant a thousand trees, in penance for the ones my reading and writing habits have felled. The Mermaid from Jeju is the first novel I finished, mostly because I was so curious about what happened to everyone in the story. The entire process was a research-intensive multi-year effort with no game plan (see Author’s Note below). At times, I felt like I was simply taking dictation. Other times, I felt like I was chasing shadows. I ended up throwing away more pages than got published. I am currently trying to finish a tale about a former jazz musician from Korea (based loosely on my grandfather) who goes on a road trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans with his best friend and juvenile delinquent granddaughter. A very different premise from Mermaid, but driven by the same motivation: What exactly happens to these characters? I hope I figure it out soon, preferably in this lifetime.