Mongolian woman killed by friend’s husband
By Kwon Mee-yoo
A married Mongolian immigrant named Kang was murdered on Sept. 12 by the husband of her friend who she was trying to protect.
The man, identified as Yang, 34, beat up his wife who fled to Kang’s house. In search of his spouse, a drunken Yang came to Kang and her husband Ha’s house, and demanded his wife return with him.
Kang prevented him from taking his wife, telling him to sober up before he could talk to her.
Outraged Yang stabbed her and wounded Ha before fleeing. She was immediately taken to a hospital, but died of excessive blood loss.
Kang, 25, married Ha in Naju, South Jeolla Province in March 2009, after being introduced to him by an acquaintance who had moved to Korea earlier.
Her husband Ha, 40, and his parents cared for her and helped her adapt to Korean life. According to neighbors, the family was happy and in June this year the couple had a baby boy.
Last December, she discovered that a 21-year-old friend had also married a Korean man and lived in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province. Kang reconnected with her and they started visiting each other’s houses.
Lack of information
However, she soon realized that her friend’s marriage was not good. Yang had introduced himself as an office worker who had graduated from college, but in reality was a farmer helping his parents, and he frequently beat her friend.
Kang’s mother-in-law sobbed during the funeral, saying she was a good-hearted daughter-in-law. Kang’s Mongolian friend also said she lived happily with a good husband and family, mourning the unexpected death.
Yang is on the run.
The tragic death follows the murder of another married immigrant from Vietnam, who was beaten to death by her mentally-unstable husband in July, just eight days after arriving here.
Her death roused social awareness of the growing number of foreign wives in rural areas.
“The central and local governments should supervise unregistered cross-border matchmakers more firmly to prevent such tragedies,” Han Kuk-yom of the Women Migrants Human Rights Center said. “These foreign women do not get enough information before coming to Korea. Their human rights need to be protected.”
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of interracial marriages ending in divorce is sharply increasing, from 1,744 cases in 2002 to 11,255 in 2008. Major factors behind the steady rise include extramarital affairs, and domestic violence and abuse.
