Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
South Korea imposed new restrictions on mixed marriages this month, but critics say the authorities would do better to focus on supporting foreign spouses who struggle to assimilate in one of Asia's most ethnically homogenous societies.
An influx of foreign brides -- overwhelmingly from other Asian countries -- began in earnest in 2000 and peaked in 2005 when more than 30,000 were given resident-through-marriage visas.
The trend was triggered by the large numbers of young, rural women leaving to find work and a new life in Seoul and other South Korean cities, leaving behind male-dominated communities with not enough potential wives to go around.
Since 2000, 236,000 foreign women have settled in South Korea through marriage, giving birth to about 190,000 children, according to data compiled by state-run Statistics Korea.
More than 80% came from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Mongolia -- essentially "mail-ordered" through matchmaking brokers, albeit with a few days of mandatory "dating" in the woman's country.
At first, South Korea did nothing to restrict the role of the marriage brokers, believing they were fulfilling a useful service in helping to improve a radically declining birth rate and labor force in the countryside.
By 2010, however, there were increasing reports of young foreign wives being beaten and in some cases even murdered, including a 20-year-old Vietnamese stabbed to death by her mentally disturbed husband a week after she arrived.
The same year, a law was introduced providing two-year jail terms for any broker shown to have provided false information about potential spouses, or introduced more than two women to one man at the same time.
The legislation had an immediate impact, with the number of broking agents plunging from 1,697 in 2011 to 512 at the end of 2013.
The latest regulations, effective as of April 1, require those applying for a resident-through-marriage visa to pass a language proficiency test, and for Korean partners to show an annual income in excess of 14.8 million won ($14,000).
Officials say this tackles the two main causes of marital strife among mixed-marriage couples -- inability to communicate and low income.
"Strong state intervention is inevitable to stop ineligible people from buying foreign brides," a Justice Ministry official said. "This is a diplomatic issue related to our national image."
But marriage brokers argue that the new rules will only serve to raise the costs of finding a foreign bride by reducing the pool of potential matches.
The current cost, including broking commission, admin fees, hotel, travel and other expenses, averages around 10 million won ($10,000) and the brokers say that could increase by as much as 50%.
"The new law doesn't reflect reality," said Cho Sou-Yong, a broker in Uijeongbu north of Seoul.
Most Asian brides come from poor rural families and Cho said the language requirement would require them to move to a city to take classes for several months -- at their new husband's expense.
"The new regulations also require an additional load of notarised documentation, which will also cost the Korean partner," he added.
A couple must already be married for the woman to apply for a resident visa.
Cho insisted that the instances of abuse highlighted in the media were largely a thing of the past, and that professional brokers were much more "sincere" in finding genuine matches for a "trouble-free marital life."
The challenges facing a foreign bride in South Korea go beyond practical issues of language and income and include a lingering societal antipathy to mixed-race marriages.
A recent survey by the private Asan Institute for Policy Studies found that 32 percent of Koreans saw mixed-race families as a threat to social cohesion.
The government has made efforts to help foreign brides integrate, and the state budget for supporting "multi-cultural families" -- with job training and language courses -- currently stands at around 123.2 billion won.
But researchers and social workers say that more support is needed, rather than bureaucratic regulation that can increase the stress on couples already struggling with a variety of pressures.
"Excessive state intervention is an infringement of privacy and causes other problems," said Cho Young-Hee at the Seoul-based research center of the International Organisation for Migration.
Han Kuk-Yom, head of the Women Migrants Human Rights Center, said priority should be given to protecting foreign wives from the still pervasive threat of domestic violence.
"Nearly half of foreign wives have experienced violent treatment by their husbands," Han said.
Social workers say many cases go unreported because the wives feel intimidated about approaching the police in a new country where they have little or no support network.
And Han noted that others were deterred by regulations stating that foreign wives who get divorced before acquiring citizenship -- which takes two years -- become illegal residents and must return home, leaving any children behind.
The private Korea Women's Development Institute found in a 2012 survey that four out of 10 mixed-race marriages break down within the first five years.
Some 48% blamed irreconcilable differences, while 21% cited low income levels.
© (c) 2014 AFP
22 Comments
Login to comment
nath
Korea and Japan more alike than either would ever care to admit.
Damien15
Another example of how imperfect the current capitalist system is. Just sad to hear the desperation. We can do better.
sensei258
"four out of 10 mixed-race marriages break down within the first five years" I'll bet many of these "marriages" were just to get their residency, like so many women in Japan do. Come to Japan, get pregnant, get married, get your residency, get divorced, get supported by your local city hall.
rickyvee
that's about the average in any country, so this is not such a shocking figure. i'm actually surprised the figure is so low considering these are mail-order brides.
wanderlust
Interesting that Korea punished the brokers and match makers, whereas Japan punishes the brides...
StormR
So low income earners cannot marry a foreigner ?
This is discrimination and wrong.
Just more proof how ignorant the SK's can be.
genjuro
That's a large number. I can understand if it's just one foreigner, but to view a mixed-race family as a "threat." Wow. Though I'm not really surprised, given how nationalistic and xenophobic many Koreans can be.
titaniumdioxide
Koreans have a problem in their society. According to this study http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120215001185 : 1 out of 6 Koreans are experiencing some mental difficulties. Having a good mental and emotional capacity is something you should consider when you are going to marry somebody. It's not always love, you should be wise as well.
This was the result of a bad assertion on KPOP/hallyu/drama as the major driving reason to why people should get commitment to a Korean spouse. BAD BAD BAD reason! Too much watching drama has made people dragged into their fantasies and have failed them to get a grasp on reality. Many Filipinos, Thais and Vietnamese I know loves kpop and korean dramas. They have stepped and crossed the line, getting too much desperation to live the drama in their tv sets.The Chinese government also commented and viewed Korean drama as a propaganda and a brainwashing machine that can potentially bring cultural mayhem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxOb41ImjkI You know what, China for once is right. The fact many foreign nationals that marry Koreans because of Kpop culture is alarming
Triumvere
The concern is, of course, that "protecting the brides" is just a cover for a racist/xenophobic attempt to restrict immigration. That said, the restrictions - minimum income level and language proficiency - seem reasonably in line with the purported goals of the regulation; it helps no-one to import wives to whom their husbands can neither communicate with or financially support. Same for the regulation of the marriage brokers.
Mocheake
Totally different than what I expected. Bravo for trying to help the abused brides, South Korea! Don't like the part about viewing mixed-race marriages as a threat to cohesion but I've been in Asia for a long time and realize the countries here can be way more xenophobic than the West.
tmarie
What's the divorce rate and spouse abuse rate for Korean marriages? Using helping foreigners are a method to stop international marriages smacks of racism/xenophobia.
As for the 32% comment, I don't think it would be much lower in Japan to be honest.
Paul Laimal-Convoy
Asia: - Putting the "zen" in "xenophobia".
Mike Critchley
Damn. There goes my plan of marrying a K-Pop idol....
smithinjapan
StormR: "So low income earners cannot marry a foreigner ?"
Try reading the article. It doesn't say they cannot marry a foreigner, it says that for the partner to get a through-visa the person needs to make in excess of $14,000.
titaniumdioxide: "1 out of 6 Koreans are experiencing some mental difficulties."
Define 'mental difficulties'. If 'stress' and/or 'depression' are included, then 100% of the Japanese I know have 'mental difficulties'.
"Having a good mental and emotional capacity is something you should consider when you are going to marry somebody."
That includes being open-minded and accepting of the one you love. If I said the word 'Korean' you'd shut down in a second. Heed your own advice.
"Many Filipinos, Thais and Vietnamese I know loves kpop and korean dramas. They have stepped and crossed the line, getting too much desperation to live the drama in their tv sets."
Okay, so let me get your thinking straight: one in six Koreans have mental issues. Many people marry Koreans, including Japanese, because of K-pop/culture, but that is not THEIR fault it is the fault of Koreans, and not the fault of the nationals who consume said culture. Hmmm... no paradoxical/hypocritical thinking there.
"The Chinese government also commented and viewed Korean drama as a propaganda and a brainwashing machine that can potentially bring cultural mayhem"
So now Chinese media is your source for facts when if the Chinese media say something negative about Japan you jump on it as how Japan is some sort of democratic freedom-of-speech society (ahem, secrecy laws aside)? You suddenly believe Chinese news because the word 'Korean' is thrown in there?
More likely this is just another Titaniumdioxide rant against jealousy of the success of J-pop in Japan and the lack of success of J-pop outside of Japan.
In any case, at first glance the headline seems to take on the tone of intolerance, but in actuality some parts of the law are for the better -- targeting the companies who potentially harm the women taken advantage of. You do NOT see that in Japan, where the WOMEN are targeted and not the companies that brought them over. Sure, the language requirements and husband's income can be questioned as fair, but it's a whole lot stricter in Japan, at least in terms of the former -- until last year the language requirements for Philipina nursing care workers was so severe the shortage was noticed and the rules made more lax. Hell, even the poll dancers and other 'entertainers' brought in face a lot more for anything beyond a one year visa. As for marriage, not as big of a problem, it seems, but you still have to renew your visa.
Kobuta Chan
"Korea and Japan more alike than either would ever care to admit."
Japanese women are more likely married to foreigners than Japanese men.
Jeff Huffman
"A recent survey by the private Asan Institute for Policy Studies found that 32 percent of Koreans saw mixed-race families as a threat to social cohesion."
The real threat to "social cohesion" and, really, the economic health of the nation in the at least the short run is that some 500,000 S. Koreans have chosen to emigrate to N. America over the last few decades. If the old theories hold true about emigrants in general, the people that choose to leave typically have more drive than most of the compatriots they left behind. S. Korea doubly needs these people because not only do they have economic drive they are also having children. Even more important than in Japan as S. Korea recently passed Japan as the world's most rapidly aging nation.
pandaclair
Japanese women are more likely married to foreigners than Japanese men.
Nope. http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/docs/wps/wps12_174.pdf
The table on page 5 shows the breakdown of marriages to a foreign spouse in Japan. Since around 1990, Japanese men married to foreign women have made up about 65-80% of international marriages in Japan.
SamuraiBlue
tmarie
Could you stop dragging in Japan to everything? Pathetic excuse if you ask me.
pandaclair
Those figures are skewed through immigration laws since when a Japanese female marry to a foreign spouse their nationality would be move to the husband's nationality removing records from the survey if they move abroad while a foreign female marrying a Japanese spouse would obtain a Japanese nationality in which would be included into the survey even if they move.
kickboard
If I were a female I would not want to "totsugu" in SK. 50% chance of getting beaten up by the hubbie, with the rate of suicide doubling in the last 10 years. Not the best place to be, mentally.
mrkobayashi
That seems quite high. The divorce rate for international marriages in Japan is 7%, which is still higher than the national average but quite low compared to other countries.
wanderlust
Not just South Korea - the UK also proposed a requirement for partner visas required that the host earned around £18,500/ year, or had around £25,000 deposited in a UK bank account, which would allow them an initial 3-year visa, then a second 3-year visa before they could acquire UK citizenship. It is not being enforced yet, due to a number of appeals going through the courts.
tmarie
Japanese women are more likely married to foreigners than Japanese men.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Could you stop dragging in Japan to everything? Pathetic excuse if you ask me.Silly me for commenting on Japan on a Japanese newsite.
Those figures are skewed through immigration laws since when a Japanese female marry to a foreign spouse their nationality would be move to the husband's nationality removing records from the survey if they move abroad while a foreign female marrying a Japanese spouse would obtain a Japanese nationality in which would be included into the survey even if they move
What on earth are you talking about? Trust me, married to a Japanese guy and I have not changed my passport. neither have any of my Japanese female friends who are married to foreigners. Um, could you stop dragging Japan into everything? Pathetic excuse if you ask me...
The divorce rate for international marriages in Japan is 7%, which is still higher than the national average but quite low compared to other countries. Link please.