By Kim Da-ye
The new rules requiring certain foreign spouses to have basic Korean language skills to obtain a resident visa, going into effect in April, are expected to make it nearly impossible for many Korean men to find brides abroad.
Those involved in arranging “international” marriages argue that the regulations do not match the reality _ the lack of opportunities and facilities for Korean language education in other countries.
Take Vietnam, for example. In 2012, 20,637 Korean men married foreign women, 6,586 of which were Vietnamese, according to Statistics Korea. The Vietnamese are the second most popular brides, after the Chinese, by a small margin.
It will eventually be the bride’s job to prove her proficiency in Korean _ either by passing the Level 1 Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) or completing a beginner course at a government-approved institution.
Cho Sou-yong, president of matchmaking agency Sejan, has arranged marriages between Korean men and Vietnamese women for the last 16 years. He said that in Vietnam, the TOPIK is administered only twice a year in April and October. If one fails a test, they have to wait half a year to try again.
The problem is that foreign brides can apply for a spouse visa only after officially registering their marriage.
In typical agency arranged marriages, Korean men and Vietnamese women exchange their profiles. The Koreans then travel to Vietnam and choose their brides. If the brides’ parents approve of the marriage, the couples have a wedding and register their marriage after basic health checkups. Men usually return to Korea to work, and their brides stay in their home countries and wait for the F-6 spouse visas to be issued.
It takes about three to four months for the brides to arrive in Korea. While waiting, many brides study Korean _ it has become a custom that men give around $500 for Korean studies as a wedding present.
When brides are required to study and pass the TOPIK test, they may be forced to stay away from their husbands for more than a year.
“These brides are married women on paper, but no one knows if they will be able to pass the test. What if the brides never make it to Korea after all? This can be a big problem for them,” Cho said, arguing that the TOPIK, especially the listening part, is difficult.
Cho said that an alternative requirement for foreign spouses to complete a beginner course in Korea sounds like an easier option, but that is not the case in Vietnam. Government-approved institutes are likely located in major cities while many Vietnamese who marry Koreans come from the provinces, he said.
If this alternative is chosen, Cho added that Korean spouses will have to cover tuition, accommodations and travel expenses. It will significantly increase the cost of an arranged marriage.
He said he fears the Vietnamese government may try to intensify regulations against international marriages in response to the Korean measure. The Vietnamese embassy in Korea, for instance, doubled the price of issuing the necessary documents on Feb. 1. He also heard from industry sources that the Vietnamese government is considering reintroducing the requirement for Korean spouses to visit Vietnam again in the second month of marriage for an interview.
“I wish the Ministry of Justice consulted associations of matchmaking agencies. They should have held a public hearing on this,” Cho said.