Divorced husbands from interracial marriages establish rights group

By Bae Ji-sook

Staff reporter

A group of Korean men who have divorced their foreign wives have established a network to "secure their rights."

About 58 people have joined so far and the office is located in Eungam-dong, northern Seoul. They are planning to visit the Ministry of Justice, the main opposition Democratic Party and the Office of the Prime Minister among others for a revision of laws relevant to interracial marriage.

"In divorce suits, judges tend to weigh on testimonies from wives, who claim to have been victimized by domestic violence or other mishaps caused by us, Korean husbands. They are untrue from time to time. Still, husbands, the majority of those who cannot afford a proper lawyer, are labeled as offenders," the group's spokesman Cho, who declined to identify himself further, said.

"We will ask the court to work swiftly on the annulment of marriages when the wife runs away soon after the wedding. We will try to change the social atmosphere of portraying migrant wives as victims of interracial marriage," he added.

He also said the group will join hands with domestic consultants as well as lawyers who can offer their services pro bono.