Characteristics of Bulteok as Space for Haenyeo on Jeju Island, Korea

摘要

Bulteok is a unique outdoor stone structure used by haenyeo—female divers who harvest marine products—and is representative of the haenyeo culture on Jeju Island.This study aims at examining the characteristics of bulteok structures on Jeju Island,Korea.Through literature records, actual measurements, and interviews, the materials, forms, structures, and functions of the bulteok are analyzed.The materials of bulteok are classified into four types based on the wall enclosing the fire space: stone and cement, stone and brick, and natural rock.Bulteok were mostly built in the form of a rectangle or a circle by piling up small and large stones found on the coast.The original bulteok are open-air structures with no roof but at present, new buildings for haenyeo have been constructed as replacements for that space.In functions the bulteok are spaces for the changing of clothes, protection from weather, work, training, and community life.