By If you are a foreign bride looking to marry a Korean you best start learning the language:
South Korea wants foreign women planning to marry local men learn Korean well enough to adapt to life there, a media report said.
“We have decided to make the ability to speak the Korean language one of the major criteria next year when approving inter-racial marriages,” Prime Minister Chung Un Chan said. His comment came Thursday as Seoul launched a committee to help multicultural families. “Its function is to lower discriminatory barriers against foreign brides by providing job or educational programmes,” Chung said. The prime minister added that the committee’s primary goal was to teach Korean to foreign brides and their children. The number of offspring of mixed marriages increased from 22,258 in 2007 to 58,007 in 2008 to about 103,484 in 2009. [Gulf Times]
This announcement seems to go well with the academic essay written by K-blogger Professor Horace Jeffery Hodges recently in regards to Korean identity. He ended his essay by asking what it means to be Korean in the future with the explosion of mixed race marriages. With this news it appears that being Korean in the future will mean learning the Korean
12:38 am on December 21st, 2009 1
With some reservations, I think this is good!
You could see this taken too far. Obviously, the government is going to have to test these girls. If the test involves understanding rudiments, that is awesome. Now if its on par with what would be expected from a student at Seoul National University, that would suck.
1:08 am on December 21st, 2009 2
Why aren't men who marry Korean women required to be tested too? Isn't that a form of discrimination? Am I being too logical or am I crazy? Don't answer all those questions.
1:13 am on December 21st, 2009 3
As a pre-requisite for marriage? Bad. As a pre-requisite for citizenship? Good.
1:34 am on December 21st, 2009 4
This is crap…what about all the loser white guy english teachers who marry korean women. Those guys are marrying for opportunity too; they can't get a wife back home, just like the SE asian women can't.
But oh no, the eng teachers would file some complaint with the human rights comission
2:44 am on December 21st, 2009 5
why is it so crazy? several (West)European countries have implemented similar practices long ago after they saw their rather generous immigration policies being abused.
2:46 am on December 21st, 2009 6
its good…but you KNOW that they won't make the white guys here with F2 visas speak korean…or else NONE of them could marry their korean gf.
2:52 am on December 21st, 2009 7
Andrew is partially right. Anyone who marries in Korea with the intent of becoming a permanent resident should speak the language, regardless of sex or national origin.
3:09 am on December 21st, 2009 8
Ideally this will be a good thing for the foreign women who do intend to live in Korea for the rest of their lives. There will be less culture shock and they will also have an easier time reporting abuse by their Korean husbands. After all, they will be able to speak to the police in Korean.
But, realistically, if the regulation is actually enforced, it will kill what has become a large industry in Korea. Few foreign women will actually qualify to get married and a lot less money will go to the marriage brokers. So, what happens in Korea when the law gets in the way of people making money? Uh, corruption and we have a perfect recipe here. We’ll see how vigoously this new regulation is actually enforced.
3:15 am on December 21st, 2009 9
To become a permanent resident in Korea, don't you more or less have to have a job in a place like a major corporation or university where being able to understand Korea is essentially mandatory?
3:21 am on December 21st, 2009 10
To Chris:
yes, but only normally when you're not gyopo or married to a korean citizen. The bullshit thing about this is, that all the white guys who can't do shit back home, and who marry korean women here, don't need to know korean language…this law will basically make foreign women know it, but not the former english teachers who do nothing here.
I'm sure if they TRIED, all the white guys here would complain even more than they usually do…
3:21 am on December 21st, 2009 11
"Bill", What is the % of men who marry Korean women and live in Korea? Or depend on the Korean wife for support?
My first thought is that percent is quite small indeed, if any.
Discrimination — No.
Your not being too logical. You failed to look at all the facts.
3:23 am on December 21st, 2009 12
Not really…you could merely be the unemployed homemaker spouse of a Korean, like most of the SE Asian wives.
3:29 am on December 21st, 2009 13
I admitt that I don't know anything about the English Teacher thing.
But I think some might marry Korean women, not for support, or to live in Korea, but to take them back with them.
Are english teachers in korea REALLY like women and "other" special interest groups are in usa. Wow! Always file complaints and scream of unfair treatment?
3:29 am on December 21st, 2009 14
It was an attempt by myself to be facetious. Like most of my author posts to this blog.
3:31 am on December 21st, 2009 15
I'm not so sure about that. Most of these women are Vietnamese, right? I have heard East Asians can pick up East Asian languages much easier than we can. I met a Korean guy and his wife a couple years back. His wife spoke rapid fire Korean but her eyes and nose were bigger than the typical Korean woman. Sure enough she was Japanese. She told me it took her less than a year to reach her skill level.
3:34 am on December 21st, 2009 16
Ewwww! Why do I have the feeling being a house adjushi in Korea would be a profoundly humiliating experience?
3:37 am on December 21st, 2009 17
Well that is screwed up. In my humble opinion, anyone planning on homesteading in a foreign land should be conversant in the majority language. Not necessarily to the point you can write a novel, but something beyond being able to order beer or ask how to get to the bathroom!
3:40 am on December 21st, 2009 18
Why are all the english teachers white?
If they do nothing, how do they eat? Are they "kept men" for Korean women?
So these "white guys" never leave Korea? Korean women must take good care of their "kept men"!
What are Korean guys doing wrong?
3:45 am on December 21st, 2009 19
Does the US Congress agree with you?
3:51 am on December 21st, 2009 20
Que'?
5:11 am on December 21st, 2009 21
I hope this new law is applied to the complaining whining white guys with superiority complexes too. You must speak Korean if you want to marry a Korean female in Korea.
Now that excuse "Korean is useless to me because I'm from a better country and I don't need to know any Korean or any other worthless culture" doesn't fly anymore. This should kick out 98% of the losers who does nothing but bash the country while doing nothing to help themselves. Excellent ideal to get rid of them once and for all!
5:47 am on December 21st, 2009 22
Yes, it is discrimination to require language skills of women only. It is a statment about how Korean culture views the roles of men (breadwinner) and women (housewife).
An equally offensive stereotype is that ESL teachers are lazy white men that are unable to find jobs or women in their home countries. I'm sure there are similar slurs we could avoid about soldiers.
But if the standard for Korean language is as low as the standard for learning English… it may not be much of an issue. And actually, Korean is a very logical and rule based language. It doesn't have all the exceptions of English.
7:01 am on December 21st, 2009 23
I'm sure the intent is to help the foreign wives who are sometimes mistreated and almost held as slaves. If they spoke the language they could get help, if needed. As far as speaking the language, I know a lot of Koreans living in the US who cannot speak English. I would like to see the US require immigrants speak English; unless, of course, they were moving South of New Orleans.
8:05 am on December 21st, 2009 24
I wonder what the Korean government will do about Korean men who get married overseas and want to bring their non-Korean-speaking wives back with them.
Thanks for the linked mention of my essay (though my middle name is "Jeffery").
Horace Jeffery Hodges
* * *
10:34 am on December 21st, 2009 25
How about some slurs for koreans, as "tom" is a korean and not a Soldier.
As for the culture of korea, it seems to make a "accurate" statement of their culture.
Do married women in korea still have to take their wedding bands off to get a job?
10:38 am on December 21st, 2009 26
CID—I said, n-e-v-e-r m-i-n-d
10:53 am on December 21st, 2009 27
My bad.
Correction has been made.
If this law only applies to the mail order bride types brought to Korea than men will then simply fly to Vietnam or where ever else to get married and bring them in that way. That is why I think if they are serious about this law that they will have to cover people getting married in countries outside of Korea as well.
12:10 pm on December 21st, 2009 28
It's nonsense.
12:17 pm on December 21st, 2009 29
If the law is extended to cover foreign men married to Korean women, I guess that my wife would have to divorce me . . . which would wreak havoc with our translation team efforts!
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
12:30 pm on December 21st, 2009 30
how about a law where everyone in korea has to speak English. that would be helpful.
12:50 pm on December 21st, 2009 31
CCK could explain it to you.
12:54 pm on December 21st, 2009 32
I think it's a good requirement for the F-5 visa, not the F-2. I was married in 95 when there wasn't an F visa given to foreign males, white (like myself) or otherwise. I'm also fluent in Korean. Andrew your full of shit.
1:07 pm on December 21st, 2009 33
I would support a local language requirement for obtaining citizenship but this is a terrible idea. It will just create a graft scheme where another little white envelope will need to be added to the pile of little white envelopes in order to get on with your life.
1:49 pm on December 21st, 2009 34
The % of men who marry Korean women leave Korea for a better life.
2:00 pm on December 21st, 2009 35
LOL, "loser white guy english teachers marrying Korean women for opportunity". "They can't get a wife back home, just like the SE asian woman can't".
What opportunity does "loser white guy" gain from marrying a Korean?
And SE asian women can't get a husband back home as well? So they come to Korea for the handsome Korean men who are much more available to ugly women?
2:16 pm on December 21st, 2009 36
It is funney to hear a Korean say "superiority complexes" being that Koreans have a bigger than life superiority complex.
2:19 pm on December 21st, 2009 37
This talk about learning Korean to get married is stupid, for a variety of reasons (which I won't go into here). I'm sure that in the future, Korean lawmakers will think it's a grand idea for foreign husbands to learn Korean, too.
Most of the commentators are just bigots … how's that for a stereotype? So here's my situation. I'm an F-2 white guy. I came to Korea because my now-wife was my girlfriend for six years. Both of our families supported our decision to get married. She lived in Korea while I finished my second master's degree in the US.
We had a hard time, but I came here because I love her. I visited her only once a year. In fact, I failed one of my classes because I had to make a choice between visiting her (or never seeing her for another year), and screwing up part of my academic future. I chose her.
Now I'm here and I work hard. Very hard. I have 2.5 jobs. She has had 2 jobs. We work seven days a week. Because my life is stressful, I have had several health problems here, but thankfully Korea has decent healthcare, or I'd be toast. We can't afford children yet, and we can't settle down because we are both planning for the future back in the U.S. But because of the crappy economic situation, I won't find a job in my field easily there.
We are saving money to pay down my impossibly-large school debt, and also saving money for advancing her education and career. Graduate school doesn't always have scholarships like undergrad, even though I did get some financial help. Her English is excellent, but she can't go higher in her field because of the glass-ceiling for women here.
If I had more time to study the Korean language, I would. If there were allowances made in my work schedule by my Korean bosses, I would. But I don't, and until Korea has programs for foreigners to study the language and pursue career-advancement like it gives to Korean teachers, I don't have many choices. I will need an F-5 if we plan to ever return to Korea, so that I can work here without being restricted to my wife's VISA sponsorship.
In conclusion, you people are pathetic. You know nothing, and you deserve a smackdown.
Have a nice day, assholes.
2:22 pm on December 21st, 2009 38
Disagree, and I disagree those who are American citizens that all immigrants in the US should speak english.
I remember a friend of mine who said his American immigrant father could only speak three words in english. "Hello, Goodby, and Go to hell", and so I remember most of my friends grandparents when I was in school. (Polish and Italian)
Its the children who grow in a new society who learn the language, not the immigrants. Its the childrens, children who end up in collage or a university.
Its not "diversity" its the "melting pot".
3:22 pm on December 21st, 2009 39
goboard
this initiative is obviously a reaction to the fact that many of the foreign brides come from / marry into families that already are socially underprivileged. consequences are grave especially for their children.
what is your suggestion how to deal with it?
you can whine all day long that you being a victim of
changing regulations but Korean society must do something about it.
of course it would be absurd to require language ability only from females.
i have lived in Germany and the Netherlands before and both countries adopted regulations (too late, imo) that require language ability for foreign spouses (from non EU countries).
before calling us assholes, maybe you should admit that this issue is complex enough that it deserves at least to be discussed.
4:47 pm on December 21st, 2009 40
Oh, come on. Requiring that these women learn Korean before they get married won't change the discrimination they and their children will suffer.
5:28 pm on December 21st, 2009 41
I could point out the fact that the majority of posters seem to be whining and generalizing about "White, foreign English teachers" without knowing all the facts.
The fact is, people here are being assholes. Why are you surprised about this?
I gave you facts from my individual situation. The fact that I felt I had to justify myself to trolls indicates just how screwed up it is to point fingers.
Sure, I was being reactionary. But surely others are being reactionary as well. What I said wasn't whining. They were facts. I'm not whining about my choices. I am complaining about ill-informed individuals who seem to take it upon themselves to mischaracterize people.
I believe I made it clear that one way to solve this problem is to make adequate resources available for learning Korean. Some resources are already available, but until my employers feel it is valuable to them to have me speaking KOrean, they won't make the time for me to learn it.
This regulation is simply a burden upon less-fortunate people, whether they are poor southeast asians or English teachers.
I'm trying to survive. I don't have time to learn the language when I am already busy trying to pay bills and make ends meet.
I want to learn the language. I will continue trying when I have time. The fact is, too many immigrants are working in other countries because they are trying to help their own families. IF I could learn Korean using balli balli byeong, I would.
5:42 pm on December 21st, 2009 42
but not fluent in english….or you would have spelled you're correctly.
5:47 pm on December 21st, 2009 43
what a dumb comment, tom.
as if there's nothing to bash the country about.
a lot less than 98% are losers, just like less than 98% of school administrator's are losers.
liars, yes, but not losers (given the frequency with which they receive money from parents to pass their kids).
the real losers are those who wish to get value for their education fees, and that's not due to whining white teachers.
it's due to education being nothing more than a business here, thanks to greedy korean men.
you need a pop on your nose, you bonehead.
10:54 pm on December 21st, 2009 44
Uh – Why do you need two Master degees was something wrong with the first one?
1:41 am on December 22nd, 2009 45
There are enough "loser yellow guys" in my country that can't make it in where they are from. It's time to pay up.
1:44 am on December 22nd, 2009 46
As far as the "white" guy complaining thing-When in korea, do as koreans do. Isn't that what koreans love to say?
1:46 am on December 22nd, 2009 47
Geez Tom, you would think some Englishee teacher ruthlessly murder over thirty koreans or something.
1:52 am on December 22nd, 2009 48
That is-murdered
I find myself agreeing with Tom. Only I think all foreigners, foreign businesses etc…should leave korea.
And thanks once again Tom. I love showing statements like yours above to non-koreans to educate them on what korean nationals really think of foreigners.
Please, you and other koreans, continue to help me out this way-it supports everything I tell people about korea.
5:24 am on December 22nd, 2009 49
Goboard, I for one have no animosity towards the foreign English teachers in Korea. My guess is most are decent and conscientious folks who have to deal with having been smeared by a couple bad apples. Personally when I hear the term "English Teacher" on this site, I think back to what it meant for me when I was in Korea. At that time, English teachers to me were US military officers who either got into helping grade school kids memorize English words and got jilted out of being paid or helped university level students understand nuances of English and were paid quite well.
That all said, here is the bottom line for me in this situation. I think my country (America) should expect long term residents to have a basic knowledge of English. With that in mind, I don't think its right for me to complain if Korea expects the same within reason.
Either way, I wish you luck and would change places with you in a heartbeat.
11:46 am on December 22nd, 2009 50
4.5 jobs between the two of you and you can't afford a child? You're impossibly in debt? And 'we' know nothing and 'deserve a smackdown', and are 'assholes'?
We may deserve a 'smackdown', but I doubt it will ever come from you. Have a nice day Mr. impossibly in debt.
11:55 am on December 22nd, 2009 51
Never was a requirment before and most immigrants throughout the world seem to do well, including the children who pick up the new language of the country they live in very quickly. Requiring it for marriage is a folly.
12:03 pm on December 22nd, 2009 52
"I am complaining about ill-informed individuals who seem to take it upon themselves to mischaracterize people."
I'm sorry, I can't get thru most of your posts because you have a tendency (much more than others) to call people assholes, bigots, wining generalists, trolls, and pathetic.
If you are educated (and if you are, you certainly don't sound very bright) could you expess your ideas without the rancor. I'd be more inclined to read and comment if you did.
1:45 pm on December 22nd, 2009 53
oooh, the typo police got me again. yes i'm quite aware of the difference between your and you're, its and it's and all other nuances that you are scouring for. by the way i also avoided any capitalization in my reply as it seems that you prefer to avoid its usage as well.
andrew is still a putz.
2:25 pm on December 22nd, 2009 54
Not as pathetic as you. My house and car are paid for. Money in the bank and some stocks. But maby your right, as I don't have even one Masters.
Maby you should just drop the second Masters and get busy with the wife.
Both of you have two jobs! Work seven days a week! Your missing your best years! You may be edumacated, but your not very bright.
You better get back to the books. You don't have the TIME to smackdown anyone.
"Youth is wasted on the young"
5:20 pm on December 25th, 2009 55
I'm a little reluctant to leave a comment as I'm not a big fan of having people call me names (…sticks and stones….), but I'll risk it.
I'm a former English teacher in Korea, I'm female and I'm married to a Korean. We were married in Korea, but no longer live there (although we talk about moving back). When I first saw this article, I immediately felt it was singling out women like me, but as I took time to think, I realized that although the article mentions all foreign females marrying Korean men, it must not be meant for those who are native English speakers (or Westerners in general). Western women married to Korean men are a minority compared with SE Asians and other Asians married to Koreans. Even without looking at the statistics in the article, it takes a simple visit to the immigration office on Seoul to see that I'm right
The article specifically discusses foreign brides facing employment or educational barriers due to a lack of Korean language skills. I think that Western women (and men) are excluded from this group since the fact that we speak English (or French, German, etc) and are often University graduates, makes us very employable.
I'm not sure how this rule could be enforced on only certain ethnicities without appearing discriminatory, but I suspect that it will take place in the marriage certificate application process. Every nationality is required to complete documents with the Korean government as well as with their own embassy/consulate (as far as I know). Perhaps during the paperwork, women of certain nationalities will have to undergo a Korean language test.
Do I approve of such measures? I can see how being unable to speak Korean (or English) would be difficult in Korea, particularly for finding employment. I don't believe it should be forced on brides, but it would certainly be helpful for these foreign brides. Even in my case, that extra "kick in the pants" would have forced me to learn Korean and not be as lazy as I have been about learning the language. Now that we have a son, I regret not learning more Korean so that my son could have more opportunity for fluency in Korean.
It is certainly not a black and white issue and the article is rather short and vague, but the idea is intriguing and has certainly sparked an issue with the above commenters.
P.S. The article led me to read Mr. Hodges essay, which I enjoyed thoroughly!
10:00 pm on December 25th, 2009 56
Why would you want to marry one of those shrews? Egad….
It's better to collect them and trade them with your friends. The nice thing is so few of them develop anything resembling an adult personality. One reason Korean men are starting to look elsewhere for brides. Can't say I blame them.
You can have 'em, Tom- once the rest of us are done with 'em. They ARE entertaining, if nothing else. They all seem kinda bitter and lonely in their older years, though. Sad.
10:02 pm on December 25th, 2009 57
Ow. Mr. Grumpy, get up on the wrong side of the floor this morning?
10:07 pm on December 25th, 2009 58
Hey boet- If you REALLY want it, you'll go for it and make it happen. First you have to want it- and apparently you do. All jokes aside (shrews, floors, etc) you have already apparently gone through a series of ordeals to get where you are. This is merely one more, and one more which I think you'll find quite minor once you embark on it- and I bet you can do it concurrently with everything else you are doing- not like you're trying to learn Hindi whilst living in Denmark!
10:23 pm on December 25th, 2009 59
BTW you can throw me in with the assholes if you want. Life is hard. You make choices. Be glad for what you have and don't put your hardships on anyone else but you. No one held a gun to your head and made you take those paths in life.
You might get respect from others if you endure and make a go of it. Most won't even notice it. The reward is yours and that of those who are your loved ones and friends. But no one gives a damn about a cry baby.
Check your attitude or it will sink you.
10:49 pm on December 25th, 2009 60
I think he specifically said the SE.A women can't find adequate SE.A women to marry in their home country….
…that's not a lack of quality native Y-chromosome-possessing individuals thing….it's a whole'nother issue….
2:45 pm on December 27th, 2009 61
I'm one of the rare few foreign English teachers who married a Korean woman and intends on living in Korea long term. Knowing the language of this country is foundational for these two main reasons. One-understand the language, understand the in-laws
Two-understand the language, understand the culture. If you are going to live here or anywhere long term- learn the language.
4:09 pm on December 27th, 2009 62
I agree with what you're saying…but I also believe that Korean is such a difficult language that achieving a decent level of proficiency is beyond the ability of a high percentage of people – especially those who first attempt it when they are adults.
10:23 pm on December 27th, 2009 63
yes guitard. It has its complexities as does most asian languages.
This brings up an interesting point. If it is so difficult to learn then why is the Korean gov't making it a requirement for foreign females, majority from S.E. Asia? If such women had the knowledge and resources to study a second language then they are well off in their own country and have no need to marry abroad, not to mention to Koreans. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier in this blog, such a law will only increase the temptation for corrupt negotiating with officials involved. Even my Korean wife thinks this law is a mistake and won't crub the influx of foreign females into Korea.
2:33 am on December 27th, 2010 64
and so… thanks
10:24 am on December 27th, 2010 65
I think the root of this new law is the "Male Centric" Korean culture.
1. If a woman marries a Korean Male, she automatically gets Korean citizenship.
2. If a Korean woman marries a foreign male, she loses her Korean citizenship, or at least some of the privileges. (she's dirt, trash, unworthy)
That is why many Korean women don't want to become US Citizens, as I have been told, because they can never own land in Korea. (That law was changed in IMF times because they wanted money brought back to Korea, still a complicated process.)
In America, an English language ability and general knowledge test is required, for citizenship.
Why not in Korea too?
Just makes a new industry, a nice little "under the table" $$$ gift to the language testor?
As for English teachers, they are just trying to make a living, probably even like living in Korea.
GOBOARD, hang in there Brother, keep working hard, the family bond created through hardship is strong. Never surrendor to your dreams because of the "Rat race."
3:36 pm on December 27th, 2010 66
There is not a shred of truth in this statement.
9:03 am on February 1st, 2011 67
what is the truth then?
It's not easy to marry a Korean woman for me. Being a S.E.A (South-East asian), I have to learn the Korean language, social codes, culture and might have to face unemployment, discrimination from Koreans and other foreigners… it's just tough. There is so much competition nowadays. You hear people of any mixed ethnicity and nationality getting married or wooing Korean women.