By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A group of ten public officials from Vietnam, the Philippines and Mongolia are visiting Korea to learn about the social infrastructure and immigration system to help ensure smooth transitions for their citizens who plan to settle in Korea though marriage.

The participants are undergoing a four-day-training program from Monday to Thursday.

``Even though more than 1,200 foreign nationals have benefited from a program run by the respective governments before coming to Korea, we are trying to bring more content and a sense of reality to the program by educating the teacher,'' Kim Sun-joo, an official at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, explained. The training program is an extension of the ministry's effort to help cope with an increasing number of multi-cultural families.

Minister Jeon Jae-hee Monday said, ``About one in every 10 newly registered marriages here is interracial. It is crucial for them to understand life in Korea before they leave their own countries.'' She made the remark during her luncheon with the invited participants.

Maria Regine Angela Galias, chief of the migrant integration and education division at the Commission of Filipinos Overseas, said, ``The United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, Norway and Sweden all have similar programs to support migrant spouses from the Philippines. However, I say Korea is ahead in terms of the depth and delicacy of the information.''

The Korean government recently legalized the opening of criminal and health records of Korean males to their migrant spouses-to-be.

Currently, once a foreign national for marriage with a Korean man arrives, the local administration provides language instruction and mentorship for settlement. It also gives 1 million won to Korean spouses for completing the 40-hour-spousal program.

Multicultural families are emerging as solutions to the problems of an aging society and low birthrate. Gangjin of South Jeolla Province has the highest interracial marriage rate, with its average birthrate surpassing the nationwide average.

According to the National Statistical Office, 11 percent of newly-registered marriages are interracial. There are estimated to be 58,007 ``multicultural children.''

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr