Remy Lee ’26 is a four-year Senior from Seogwipo-Si, a city on Jeju Island in South Korea. He is passionate about photography and film, serving as a co-head of Photo League and Analogue Photo Magazine. In 2024, Lee’s solo photo essay, “Sea, Breath, Songs: Story of the Haenyeo,” including his documentary, The Mermaids, won a national YoungArts award. The two works feature the everyday lives of Jeju Island’s Haenyeo women, traditional free deep divers who harvest seafood without breathing equipment. In spring of 2025, Lee curated his solo photo exhibit, Sea, “Breath, Songs: Story of the Haenyeo,” inspired by his essay and documentary. Recently, The Mermaids was endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Lee is also a writer and poet. He is the co-head of the Creative Writing Club, co-Editor-in-Chief of the No Limits STEM Magazine, and has worked on the board of Students for Environmental Action.

What was the process behind filming The Mermaids and curating your “Sea, Breath, Songs: Story of Haenyeo” exhibit?

During the summer of 2024, I traveled around Jeju, immersing myself in the island’s indigenous culture. I was inspired by the Haenyeo’s strength, resilience, and wisdom, and decided to honor their heritage with a photo essay and documentary.

Recording the diving scenes was the highlight of the filming process—it was by far the most challenging but rewarding. A Haenyeo, whom I befriended in my immersion journey, kindly agreed to dive with me. I planned out everything—from my GoPro to my outfit and the shot compositions. But it turns out, shooting underwater quite literally isn’t exactly walking in the park. The clothes I had brought were short-sleeved, which posed risks in diving—so I opted for hers: hence the purple top and the tropical leggings. The experience was truly moving—instead of the commentary that I had prepared, I ended up speaking impromptu, and those words were what I ultimately included in the documentary.

Capturing the landing of the Haenyeo for my photo essay was an exhilarating experience as well. As you may imagine, the Haenyeo are exhausted when they reach the rocky shore after their hours-long diving sessions. They moved very quickly, ready to head home. Crafting the right composition with moving targets, treacherous terrain, and the clock ticking—I really enjoyed letting my instinct navigate and problem-solve. That’s exactly why I love shooting candidly.

Many teachers and faculty helped me choose, design, and set up my photo exhibit, and I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for their kindness.