K-Mermaiding Is the New K-Pop? Why Korea’s Underwater World Is Making Waves

An interview from Jeju, where freediving, fantasy, and fierce sea women collide

Mermaiding is still a young spark in Korea — but it’s catching fire fast.

At a recent ocean festival in Jeju, I - Corinna, CEO of MerMapp - sat down with someone who's been watching (and shaping) that spark closely: Helena. She's a leading figure in both the AIDA freediving scene and Korea’s mermaiding world. Not just a coach — but an event organizer, community builder, and now, a modern-day Haenyeo (yep, those legendary Korean sea women — more on that in an upcoming blog 👀).

Helena recently stepped away from official leadership roles in both AIDA Korea and mermaiding organizations to go deeper: teaching, performing, organizing, and reconnecting with the sea in new ways. We talked about everything from underwater aesthetics to idol burnout to what a “K-mermaid” identity might look like.

Here’s what she shared with me.

📸 It All Started with Underwater Photography

Q: Why do you think mermaiding fits so naturally into Korean culture?

Helena:
Korea is a deeply visual culture, where people express identity through images — from studio portraits and body profiles to cosplay and café aesthetics.

Underwater, the camera captures a sense of effortless beauty that actually requires great discipline, and that contrast is magnetic. Mermaiding is a natural extension of this: visual storytelling becomes the bridge between fantasy and skill, drawing people in long before they even learn to dolphin-kick.

💅 Come for the Photo, Stay for the Transformation

Q: Do most new Korean mermaids start for the aesthetic reasons?

Helena:
Yes — the aesthetic is often the gateway. Many beginners come ‘for the photo’ and leave talking about breath, body alignment, and how calm their mind felt underwater.

The image opens the door for them to try new things and, once they experience the water for themselves, they often discover a deeper connection — to their body, to performance, and sometimes even to the ocean itself.

🌊 Mermaiding as Recovery from Burnout or Injury

Q: Have you seen mermaiding offer healing for people leaving high-pressure careers or recovering physically?

Helena:
I’ve seen mermaiding be deeply restorative. For people recovering from burnouts or injuries, buoyancy reduces impact while breathwork helps regulate the nervous system.

There’s also a freedom to be expressive — something performers always crave. Even in the midst of exhaustion or recovery, people can reconnect with movement in a gentler, more healing way, and sometimes it even rekindles their joy for performing.

Q: When did you first feel mermaiding had real potential in Korea?

Helena:
The first time I realized mermaiding could truly take root in Korea was when I saw how quickly people were captivated by underwater photography. I knew that once people had explored every possible look and costume for photos, the next step would naturally lead them to mermaiding.

That’s when I thought, “If we can build safe, credible training around this, it will grow quickly.”

🇰🇷 Korea’s Visual Culture Made It the Perfect Fit

🎤 The Quiet Link Between Mermaiding and K-pop

Q: What makes former idols or performers drawn to mermaiding?

Helena:
Former performers or idols already understand rehearsal discipline, stage presence, stamina, and how to connect with an audience. Water simply offers them a new kind of stage — softer on the joints, more demanding on breath and control — yet it still provides that sense of spotlight, only refracted through the surface.

⚖️ Blending Freediving Discipline with Mermaid Performance

Q: How do freediving and mermaid training differ — and can they be combined?

Helena:
In Korea, freediving — especially in AIDA circles — has always been technique-first and rule-driven: safety teams, strict protocols, and gradual depth progression.

Mermaid training, by contrast, has traditionally been performance-first, focusing on lines, choreography, and camera presence.

My approach is to blend the two: we begin with safety and breath foundations — equalization, recovery breathing, buddying — and then layer in performance, so artistry never outpaces safety.

🧨 The Pressure to Be Perfect — Even as a Beginner

Q: How does Korean culture’s high beauty standards and work ethic affect mermaiding here?

Helena:
In Korea, people work hard at everything they do, and that’s true in mermaiding as well. Our culture values discipline, perfection, and beauty, so many mermaids here aim to look flawless even before they’ve mastered the basics.

That can be motivating, but it also creates pressure. Compared to other countries, where mermaids often seem more relaxed and enjoy the journey toward perfection, Korea’s approach is more intense.

My hope is that this high expectation doesn’t discourage beginners or cause people to burn out, because the joy of mermaiding should last beyond the first impression.

Q: Do you think Korean mermaiding will develop its own global style like K-pop did?

Helena:
Yes, I do think K-mermaiding will grow into its own style, much like K-pop did.

It will probably be known for polished skills and unique choreography inspired by idol training, combined with the hard-working discipline that Koreans bring to everything.

At the same time, I believe it will evolve further with mermaids sharing their performances through social media and short videos that spread their stories to the world.

🇰🇷 What Will Make “K-Mermaiding” Stand Out

🧠 What People Still Get Wrong About Mermaiding

Q: What do you wish more people in Korea understood about mermaiding?

Helena:
I wish people knew mermaiding is not just cosplay — it’s a composite of breath training, safety systems, performance, and ocean ethics.

Done right, it teaches respect for water, body awareness, teamwork, and conservation. It’s also inclusive: you don’t need to be a depth athlete to be an underwater artist, but you do need to be trained.

🌟 A Vision for Korea’s Mermaiding Future

Q: What’s your dream for how mermaiding grows in Korea over the next few years?

Helena:
My vision is to build a safe and professional ecosystem for mermaiding in Korea — with certified instructors, clear steps from beginner photoshoots to advanced performances, and regular showcases that celebrate mer-artists.

I want to see Korea host an annual underwater arts festival, create a trusted safety certification, and launch artist residencies that blend technique, storytelling, and ocean care.

In the next few years, I hope Korean mermaiding will be recognized worldwide for its beauty, safety, and original ocean-inspired stories.

Helena’s insights cut right to the heart of what makes Korean mermaiding unique — and why it’s poised for something big.

What’s especially inspiring is how deeply she blends performance, community, and care for the ocean. It’s not just about looking pretty underwater — it’s about creating systems that let mermaiding grow safely and meaningfully.

And that’s also where MerMapp comes in.

As the global mermaiding world grows, we’re building the one platform that makes it easier to find serious, highly trained instructors, follow credible safety guidelines, and connect with both passion and purpose — whether you’re a beginner or a professional.

MerMapp helps mermaids in Korea — and all over the world — avoid burnout by showing that you don’t have to chase perfection alone. You can learn at your own pace, see how it’s done in other countries, and build real connections with the global pod.

Whether you're looking for your next course, your local mermaid community, or a marketplace of tailmakers and ocean-focused creators — we're making it easier to connect the dots between people, information, and opportunities.

This isn’t just a hobby — it’s a movement. And MerMapp is here to help you flow through it all.

And yes — we’ll be back soon with a full feature on Helena’s life as a Haenyeo — the traditional Korean sea women who dive for food, culture, and community. Many of them are in their 60s, 70s, even 80s… and still diving.

Until then — stay curious, stay kind, and stay in flow.
💙 — Corinna, CEO of MerMapp

💬 Final Splash