'Month-long biracial marriage valid'

The Supreme Court has ruled against nullifying an international marriage which a Chinese woman left after a month, saying there needs to be firm proof that she did not want to marry.

The top court announced its decision Wednesday in a case filed by a Korean man, surnamed Lee, against the Chinese woman.

In June 2011, Lee met his future wife who came to Korea via an international marriage agency. They decided to marry and registered the marriage to the authority.

But she left home after about a month and did not return, so Lee reported her missing and filed a suit to nullify the union, alleging she entered the country and married to get a job in Korea.

It was later found that the woman returned to China in February 2012.

A local court ruled against Lee, saying the woman may have left him due to troubles with him and that there was insufficient evidence to support Lee’s claim of a “sham marriage” with the purpose of finding a job. A high court upheld the ruling, as did the top court.