Talking haenyeo & Jeju with author Brenda Paik Sunoo | Episode #8

On this very special episode of Me, You and Jeju, Darryl Coote and Alexis Joy record on location at the Jeju stone house of author and artist Brenda Paik Sunoo.

Brenda, with her husband, Jan, built the house over the course of more than a year, an endeavor that became the inspiration for one of her more well-known books, “Stone House on Jeju Island.”

The trio discuss recent controversy surrounding Jeju’s haenyeo, specifically a Blue House petition asking for a 1 million won fine for hobbyists who harvest shellfish and other delicious bounties from the sea at night to be revoked. They blame the haenyeo, who rely upon those catches for their livelihood, for having a monopoly over public lands. 

Then, Darryl and Alexis interview Brenda about her time on Jeju, her house (of course) and recent projects, including a beautiful, healing children's book about Sewol titled “In memory of Sewol” and a forthcoming webtoon based on her book “Stone House on Jeju Island.”

She also regaled the pair of the time when she met heartthrob actor Rock Hudson as an eight-year-old during a movie shoot in which she was acting as an orphan who was brought to Jeju during a real-life Korean War operation titled Operation Kiddy Car.     

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