Vietnamese woman killed by husband after 8 days in Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Staff reporter

A 20-year-old Vietnamese woman was killed by her mentally-unstable husband just eight days after arriving in Korea.

The Busan Saha Police Station said the woman was found dead at her house, Wednesday, and that officers were questioning her husband identified as Jang, 47, for beating and stabbing her to death. Police requested an arrest warrant for Jang on charges of murder, Friday.

Officers quoted the husband as saying, "I committed the murder after hearing the voice of a ghost telling me to kill my wife."

The couple was introduced on Feb. 7 through an interracial match-making company, and the woman decided to marry the man the next day, hoping for "the Korean Dream" despite the age difference.

She stayed in Vietnam to make arrangements for the marriage and arrived in Korea July 1. She did not know any Korean and her husband was her only contact here. However, she did not know of his history of mental problems. He was hospitalized for five days before returning to Vietnam to bring her to Korea and assaulted his parents five years ago after hearing voices.

Jang reported himself to the police after killing her.

His mother said Jang had suffered depression from the age of 40 as he couldn't get married.

"He discontinued taking his medicine after marriage as he thought his wife might think it strange," she was quoted as saying. "I saw my daughter-in-law only once, but I had hoped they would live together happily."