Cheyenne Suarez

'Running Man' star Song Ji-hyo dives with Jeju sea women in new series

Korean actress and TV personality Song Ji-hyo, left, with a haenyeo. Photo from BBC Studios

Article (news)

Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745383560961&#x27;Running-Man&#x27;.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Korean actress and TV personality Song Ji-hyo, left, with a haenyeo. Photo from BBC Studios"/>Korean actress and TV personality Song Ji-hyo, left, with a haenyeo. Photo from BBC StudiosSouth Korean actress Song Ji-hyo, best known for her long-running stint on the variety show &quot;Running Man,&quot; is set to star in a mini-series centered on Jeju Island&#x27;s famed female divers, the haenyeo, the show&#x27;s producer announced Wednesday.</div>The three-part series titled &quot;Deep Dive Korea: Song Ji-hyo&#x27;s Haenyeo Adventure&quot; features Ji-hyo &quot;free diving with the legendary haenyeo,&quot; BBC Studios, which is co-producing the program with Korean media company JTBC, said in a press release.The haenyeo, typically women in their 80s, make their livelihood by plunging into the deep waters of Jeju to gather shellfish and other harvests. As a tradition that has existed for centuries, the haenyeo have been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.&quot;Most haenyeo start their training in the sea at the age of eight but Song Ji-hyo, will have to cram over 30 years’ worth of training into just a month,&quot; BBC Studios said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745382233353DDK_KA_1920x1080.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from BBC Studios</div>Ji-hyo, whose aunt is also a haenyeo, described her experience as &quot;very special and meaningful.&quot;&quot;Having the opportunity to directly experience the lives of Jeju Island&#x27;s haenyeo women and learn their way of life has been a precious opportunity that I&#x27;ll never forget in my lifetime,&quot; she said.&quot;Through this series, I hope that audiences in Korea and throughout the world will gain a deeper understanding of the haenyeo community&#x27;s deep heritage and precious traditions,&quot; she added.Ryan Shiotani, senior vice president of content at BBC Studios Asia, said the show celebrates &quot;the incredible lives of the haenyeo divers and immerse audiences in Song Ji-hyo&#x27;s most personal and demanding challenge.&quot;Meanwhile, Huh Jin, director of content production at JTBC, described the program as a &quot;step to share Korea&#x27;s precious culture with the world.&quot;&quot;Deep Dive Korea: Song Ji-hyo&#x27;s Haenyeo Adventure&quot; premieres on BBC Earth starting May 11 and will be available to Filipino audiences via Cignal channel 245.Apart from &quot;Running Man,&quot; Ji-hyo has starred in the romance series &quot;Princess Hours&quot; and &quot;Was It Love?&quot;, as well as the historical drama &quot;Jumong.&quot; Her film credits include &quot;A Frozen Flower&quot; and &quot;Intruder.&quot;

South Korean actress Song Ji-hyo, best known for her long-running stint on the variety show 'Running Man,' is set to star in a mini-series centered on Jeju Island's famed female divers, the haenyeo.

South Korean actress Song Ji-hyo, best known for her long-running stint on the variety show 'Running Man,' is set to star in a mini-series centered on Jeju Island's famed female divers, the haenyeo.