Until 2019, South Korea had a policy of deporting foreign brides if they got divorced. Presumably this was put in place to discourage them from marrying South Korean men ‘just for a visa’. For better or for worse, there has long been a Vietnamese bride trade to South Korea, which traditionally tipped the balance of power well and truly in favour of the groom who often ‘obtained’ his wife via online marriage agencies. This power dynamic sometimes placed these wives in danger of abuse, especially if they were from an impoverished background. But now the chickens are coming home to roost five years after the policy change. Last year there were 20,000 marriages between South Korean citizens and foreigners – up 3,000 from the year before – and Vietnamese women represented the largest group of brides at 33%. However, divorce rates are up, too, as foreign ‘ex-wives’ who aren’t subject to deportation anymore are looking to tie the knot again in South Korea, but not necessarily with South Korean men!
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BUREAU BITES: Vietnamese brides in Korea are hitting back!