Comments on: NYT on Korea’s Flood of Vietnamese Wives

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:27:10 +0000

RE: bluejives’ comment #70

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but a married man who has extramarital sexual relations does not have “good character.” Particularly in Korea, where divorce is less acceptable, women over thirty have poor career prospects, and men are favored in custody cases, many wives stay married to philandering, violent men because the alternative - being alone and poor - is even less desirable.

By: bluejives

bluejives — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:12:44 +0000

Like ●~* said, getting a successful married man is probably much better than getting a successful divorced man. The fact that he is still married must mean that his character is good, therefore worthy of getting, while for a divorced man, the fact that he is divorced must mean there is something wrong with his character (or why else did his wife leave him?) Never before married bachelors are obviously out of the question because they are neither successful nor married.

By: peninsular aborigine

peninsular aborigine — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 23:43:55 +0000

I rather doubt that Korea is full of more successful diverces than married men? Anything like proof?

By: ●~*

●~* — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:14:46 +0000

Mr. SomeguyinKorea,
No, I’m not.
Mr. baduk wrote, “Many of these women go to Australia or the US and sell themselves. Some stay in Korea and lure successful married men.”

I just wanted to point out that Korea is full of overwhelmingly more successful male divorcees than successful married men. How could an unmarried marry a divorcee who was forsaken for distaste or may have some characteristic defect.

Mr. danson, good.

By: danson

danson — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:14:17 +0000

I personally don’t see anything fundamentally bad about selling and buying of brides from overseas. Or husbands for that matter. As long as the brides themselves actually WANT to do this, it appears to me that both sides win on this deal. This seems to me like a specialied subset of a labor market, and globalization in labor market is old news. Vietnam apparently has an abundant supply(unmarried women) but less than robust demand (eligible men), which depresses the price (material comfort resulting from marriage). Korean bridal labor market apparently has more robust demand (men who are comparatively more eligible) and they can afford to pay higher price (provide the wives with more material comfort). Simple solution is reached through a globalizing the bridal market place, and both side win out on the deal. (That is, unless, the brides themselves are unwilling. In which case it’ll be human trafficking, which is illegal.)

In an ideal case scenario, a truly efficient global dating market will form, where any eligible single person will be able to seek out potential mates from all corners of the globe (non-geometrically speaking) and possibly form a union. Cultural, linguistic and logistic barriers prevent us from reaching such an utopia anytime soon, but whole bunch of online dating sites and other match-making services are hard at work to dream the impossible dream.

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:42:01 +0000

●~* ,

Are you saying it’s okay if they are dysfunctional, as long as they are rich? Try if you want. Soon enough, you’ll learn why their first wives divorced them.

By: ●~*

●~* — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:44:26 +0000

-_-;
Hey, Korea is full of DIVORCED men,and some of them are successful.

By: baduk

baduk — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:53:37 +0000

beechtreem,

You brought a good point.

The trouble is Korean women now want American style of life but Korean job market is not big. These women after spending their twenties in starting positions get laid off in early thirties. Then, there is no job for them since they are not willing do menial job or physical labor.

Many of these women go to Australia or the US and sell themselves. Some stay in Korea and lure successful married men.

It is a big unspoken social problem in Korea.

By: beechtreem

beechtreem — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:34:00 +0000

The article partly attributes declining birthrates for women during the 80’s. But I don’t think its the main factor. Its simply that less Korean women get married these days. Some postpone thoughts of marriage till their 30’s and by then, they are not that marketable, due to the male notion which still persists that women over 30 are already ‘old maids’.

Here’s an portion of an article on the subject:
__________________________________________________
Around 40 percent of South Korean women are staying single into their 30s as they increasingly prioritize their education and careers.
Twenty years ago, only 14 percent of women were still single at 30. The 26 percent leap has researchers in a tizzy. “More and more women want late marriages for their self-development,” researcher Chang Hye-kyung said.
And she predicted that the number of unmarried women older than 30 will only continue to climb. “Many women believe the long-standing inequality between husband and wife still exists. They know that marriage is not a compulsory course, but merely a choice.”
Chang added: “Despite the soaring jobless rate, highly educated women don’t want to resort to men.
_________________________________________________

By: seouldout

seouldout — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 03:43:45 +0000

Back in the day i remember being on a bus in the vicinity of an American military base and there was a bunch of Korean kids chasing two mixed race children. The Koreans in the bus found this amusing. Has korea changed in this regard?

If they’re notables such as a SuperBowl MVP with a persevering mother they’re chasing them too…with arms full of cash. Though I suspect it’s due to the concern that they look insensitive to the MVP’s woe-is-me-and-my-momma stories. And the ones stuck here can be drafted by the military.