By Lee Hyo-sik
A growing number of children born between Korean fathers and Vietnamese mothers have been neglected or even abandoned in the Southeast Asian nation, with more Vietnamese wives going back to their home country with their kids after divorce.
Many divorced immigrant wives have come back to Korea to work and earn money, while leaving their children in the hands of parents and relatives. These children in Vietnam were found to have been inadequately taken care of in the absence of both father and mother.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Rep. Lee Jung-hyun of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), Wednesday, a total of 63 Vietnamese women, who had previously married Korean men and went back to their home country with their children after divorce, have come back to Korea alone, leaving their kids behind in Vietnam.
But the ministry and other government agencies have been able to persuade only 31 of them to bring their children back to Korea.
“The majority of Vietnamese and other Asian women are divorcing their Korean husbands, due mainly to cultural differences and financial difficulties. Following the divorce, most immigrant wives go back to their home countries with their children. And then, many return alone to work, leaving the kids with parents or relatives,” Lee said.
He said most children do not receive proper care in Vietnam, due to lack of the family’s financial resources and state childcare support programs, with many being neglected or even abandoned.
“If Vietnamese wives or legal guardians do not agree to send children back to Korea, there is no way to bring them back here. Both Korean and Vietnamese governments should work together to improve the welfare of children born between Korean and Vietnamese people, and sign an accord to make it easier for the children to come to Korea,” Lee said.
Currently, children with Korean nationality can also acquire Vietnamese citizenship if the government there approves it. If children do not have either parents or other legal guardians, grandparents can list them on their family register.
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