'25 International Greenwich Olympiad : "A Study on the Indigenous Knowledge of Jeju Haenyeo Community"

This study collected the Indigenous knowledge of the Haenyeo community in Jeju Island, South Korea. Field interviews were conducted, and qualitative analysis was used to extract Indigenous knowledge. Findings show Jeju Haenyeos utilize native plants for various diving and housekeeping purposes; verbally interact with dolphins and venerate sea turtles; and produce new knowledge about changing marine ecosystems. 

This study contributes to ecological and anthropological knowledge by recording the Indigenous knowledge of Haenyeo, whose culture is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. In the future, anthropologists must explore Indigenous knowledge extensively to encourage sustainable, human-centric, and effective approaches to environmental issues and policymaking.

By presenting this study online, I won a Silver medal in the Social Science Division at the 2025 International Greenwich Olympiad held in London. I represented Team Korea after advancing from the 2025 Korea Science & Engineering Fair. My project was one of 58 finalist projects that received a Silver medal out of 356 in the final round.