By Bae Ji-sook
A husband and wife union should always look after each other even in times of trouble and misunderstanding, a court ruled Friday, rejecting a divorce petition filed by a Korean husband to sever the ties with his younger Vietnamese wife.
According to the Jeonju District Court, a 45-year-old complainant married the 25-year-old from Vietnam in June last year. However, trouble often marred the union.
In March, the wife was scolded by her father-in-law for resting her chin in her hands and staring at him while he ate. He said she misbehaved and told her to “get out of the house.” Resting your chin in your hands is considered rude in Korea.
She followed the order by leaving the house with all the jewelry and gifts she had received from her husband and his family at the wedding. Instead of looking for the runaway wife, the man filed for divorce.
The plaintiff alleged that his wife “didn’t make enough effort to get along with the family and was just interested in making money and hanging around with fellow Vietnamese nationals.”
Judge Park Ji-yeon said, “It is natural that couples from different cultural backgrounds and countries have different ways of thinking, living and behaving. Both sides should try to understand this and become accustomed to each other.
“The accused did not know much about her husband nor Korea when she got married. It is highly unlikely that her perception has developed much at the time when she ran away.”
The judge asked the husband to take more time to understand his wife. “Since the wife is much younger, the husband should have tried to be more accepting of her status; let her learn about Korean culture and be patient.”
