 One hundred Korean-foreigner couples stand arm in arm during a joint wedding ceremony at the Olympic Part in southern Seoul, Saturday. This is the first event of its kind to be hosted by the government. / Photo by Park Young-kyu |
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
On Saturday morning when the sky was a bright crystal blue and bright sunshine warmed up the ground, the Olympic Park in southern Seoul saw 200 brides and grooms in neat black tuxedos and white wedding dresses.
Half of them were different in appearance from locals and spoke Korean a little haltingly, but their shy smiles were no different from other Korean couples on the verge of walking down the aisle.
The Ministry of Justice hosted the joint wedding at the park's 88 Lawn Field for 100 Korean-foreigner couples, whose wedding ceremonies had been delayed due to financial hardship.
This is the first event of this kind hosted by the government. The event, dubbed ``Together Festival,'' was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean government as well as to show the Korean government is ready to embrace a multiracial family.
``I, together with the Korean public, offer my sincerest congratulations on your wedding,'' said Prima Minister and wedding officiator Han Seung-soo. ``You are an important constituency of Korea, and also members of our family who will contribute to our present and future success. In order for you to have a great pride in your life, the government, together with Korean people, will do its best.''
Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han added, ``I wish you have a great time and I also hope this festival serves as a valuable opportunity for you to give your best to the future and to Korea.''
Ambassadors from the Philippines, Mongolia, Cambodia and Bangladesh ㅡ the four countries that most of the immigrant wives here come from ㅡ also took part in the ceremony.
53-year-old Dagoc Anira Uba, an ethnic Filipino who married her Korean husband Kang In-goo in 1999, said, ``I'm so happy, though belated, to have a wedding ceremony. I will do my best to take care of my husband and my children.''
Living in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, she has taken care of her husband since he collapsed from a stroke in 2003, managing to make ends meet by teaching English at a kindergarten and primary school.
According to the immigration office, as of August, a total of 59,491 foreigners from 124 countries immigrated to Korea after marrying Koreans, accounting for about 7 percent of the 841,596 immigrants in total.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
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