From Meeting to Marriage in Just 9 Days... "Party A Pays Party B 1.5 Million Won Monthly" [The Harsh Reality of International Marriage]

Obedience and Childbirth Exchanged for Money
From Meeting to Marriage Registration in Just 4 Nights and 5 Days
International Marriage Support Ordinances Decrease, but the Proportion of International Marriages Rises

Editor's NoteAlthough the rate of international marriages in South Korea has surpassed 10% of all marriages, becoming a common trend, various side effects continue to emerge. Due to the failure to eradicate the practices of illegal brokerage agencies, controversies over transactional marriages and complaints of fraudulent marriages persist. The breakdown of multicultural families arising from this issue leads to educational problems for students. This article examines the unreasonable practices occurring in the international marriage brokerage market and explores the structural causes and possible solutions.

"Party A pays Party B 1.5 million KRW monthly. Party B receives 1.5 million KRW from Party A, gives 800,000 KRW to their parents in Vietnam, and gives 700,000 KRW to Byung."

Last year, Mr. A, a Korean man who married a Vietnamese woman through an international marriage brokerage agency, received a 'marriage agreement' contract from the agency before the marriage. The main point was that if Mr. A pays his wife 1.5 million KRW monthly for seven years after her entry into Korea, 800,000 KRW of that would be sent by the wife to her family in Vietnam, and the remaining 700,000 KRW would be received by the brokerage agency.

Previously, Mr. A had already paid over 20 million KRW in brokerage fees to the agency and had met his wife through their introduction. However, as soon as Mr. A expressed his intention to marry his wife to the agency, the agency suddenly presented this document. The agency claimed that without signing this contract, the marriage could not be finalized and explained that the 700,000 KRW they receive would be used for Korean language classes for the wife in Vietnam before her entry.

An international marriage agreement obtained by Asia Economy from Hwang Sun-hoon Administrative Office. Last year, Mr. A, a Korean man who married a Vietnamese woman through an international marriage brokerage agency, signed the marriage agreement presented by the agency. In the international marriage agreement, the groom is listed as Party A, the bride as Party B, and the brokerage agency as Party C.

The actual agreement also stated that instead of receiving this money as a lump sum, the brokerage agency would be responsible for providing Korean language education to help the Vietnamese wife obtain a Korean visa. It specified education up to TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 4. The TOPIK exam is administered by the National Institute for International Education under the Ministry of Education and measures the Korean language proficiency of foreigners and overseas Koreans who do not speak Korean as their mother tongue. It is used for visa acquisition, admission to domestic universities, and employment.

To obtain a marriage immigrant visa (F-6), one must acquire at least TOPIK level 1 in Korean. Those who achieve level 3 can apply for a professional worker (E-7) visa, and those who achieve level 4 are eligible to enter Korean universities and graduate schools, complete courses, and graduate.

The brokerage agency intended to charge 700,000 KRW as the cost for educating the Vietnamese wife to pass the TOPIK exam. Additionally, the agreement included a clause that if the Vietnamese wife absconds without permission during the seven years, causing marriage cancellation or divorce, the agency would broker a marriage with another Vietnamese woman free of charge.

Mr. A, who thought he had already paid all brokerage fees, was shocked when the agency demanded a separate agreement with a monthly payment of 1.5 million KRW. Suspicious of the agreement, Mr. A consulted an administrative officer to process his wife's visa application and inquired about the contract. The inquiry revealed that such a contract form is illegal and not included in the standard terms and conditions for international marriage brokerage.

From Meeting to Marriage Registration in 9 Days... Difficult to Verify Contracts

Although international marriages have become common, many Korean men like Mr. A still suffer from illegal contract damages during the marriage process. This is because the entire process from meeting to wedding takes only about 4 nights and 5 days, and even including marriage registration and other procedures, it is completed within 9 days, leaving no time to properly verify contracts.

According to the '2023 International Marriage Brokerage Industry Survey' conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family last year, the average period from local matchmaking to marriage through international marriage brokerage agencies was 9.3 days. Although this is longer than 4.0 days in 2017 and 5.7 days in 2020, the overall period from meeting to marriage remains very short.

Typically, international marriages through brokerage agencies proceed as follows: Korean men register with a domestic agency, receive introductions to prospective brides via online video chats, then travel to countries like Vietnam for about 4 nights and 5 days to meet in person. During this process, brokerage contracts and marriage procedures are completed, and the agency handles both local and domestic legal procedures and visa matters.

While the marriage process happens quickly, the marriage procedures are complex, making it easy to fall victim to fraudulent contracts due to information asymmetry. Administrative officer Hwang Seon-hoon pointed out, "Malicious agencies still exploit the difficulty ordinary people have in obtaining information related to marriage visa acquisition to commit fraud. Due to these illegal contracts, the number of broken multicultural families is increasing, and some men who have entered international marriages perceive their wives as having been 'bought with money,' causing various family problems."

Even as Local Government Support Ordinances Disappear... The Rising Rate of International Marriages

Despite ongoing damages, the rate of international marriages is rising again as the COVID-19 situation stabilizes. According to the Statistics Korea's Multicultural Population Dynamics statistics, the proportion of multicultural marriages (international marriages) among all marriages was 10.3% in 2019, dropped to 7.6% in 2020 and 7.2% in 2021 due to COVID-19, and rose again to 10.6% in 2023.

Although most local governments are in the process of abolishing support ordinances for international marriages due to numerous problems, five regions?Ganghwa, Goseong, Jeongseon, Gangjin, and Hadong counties?still maintain their programs. Ganghwa, Goseong, Hadong, and Jeongseon counties provide support funds for men aged 35 and older, while Gangjin county targets men aged between 30 and under 45 for international marriage support.