Down in lovely Jeonju, a court has rejected a husband’s petition to divorce his Vietnamese wife:
A husband and wife union should always look after each other even in times of trouble and misunderstanding, a court ruled Friday, rejecting a divorce petition filed by a Korean husband to sever the ties with his younger Vietnamese wife.
According to the Jeonju District Court, a 45-year-old complainant married the 25-year-old from Vietnam in June last year. However, trouble often marred the union.
In March, the wife was scolded by her father-in-law for resting her chin in her hands and staring at him while he ate. He said she misbehaved and told her to “get out of the house.” Resting your chin in your hands is considered rude in Korea.
She followed the order by leaving the house with all the jewelry and gifts she had received from her husband and his family at the wedding. Instead of looking for the runaway wife, the man filed for divorce.
According to the husband, the wife didn’t try hard enough to get along with the family, and was only interested in “making money and hanging around with fellow Vietnamese nationals.”
In its infinite wisdom, however, the court dismissed the husband’s divorce petition, saying the husband should be more understanding of his wife and give her more time. If he can find her, that is — apparently, nobody knows where she is.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t think any state should be in the business of telling married couples whether or not they can break up. As for this question, how could it be decided either way in the absence of the wife? Finally, I’m pretty sure that this 25 year old Vietnamese bride does not want to remain married to the middle-aged man she ran away from.
What about whether they can marry in the first place?
She’s hanging out with her Vietnamese buddies (after she porned those wedding gifts and some of that jewelry).
She’s 25y.o. – what did the husband expect – a house maid and 3 sons?
She’s happy, she got a free trip to Korea, a visa, had a good feast at the wedding and made lots of new Vietnamese friends who can put her up in Korea.
The 45y.o. husband obviously has money, to just buy a young wife, then want to divorce her so he can buy another one.
If the divorce goes through, can the wife take half his assets?
She did what with the wedding gifts and jewelry? Are you employed at the Korea Times, by any chance?
What’s the world coming to when you can’t trust the marital intentions of someone half your age who just met you?
She porned her wedding gifts, lol!
Well, Brendon, that’s a good question, and a timely one given the current brouhaha in the US over same-sex marriage. I’m no lawyer, but here’s my stab at things:
I think that relationships are basically between the people in them themselves. Sometimes, those people decide to get married, and the government grants legal recognition and status to their commitments; there are various economic and legal rights and responsibilities that go along with that. The reasons, I guess, relate to our traditions, but also to the fact that states need young people to keep working to pay for the benefits of the older generation; such young people probably do better emotionally and developmentally with at least two parents than with just one or none. Furthermore, the couple, even if childless, will be supporting each other financially and/or in other ways.
In any case, if a couple decides to break up in most western societies, they will lose the economic and legal rights and responsibilities they had had, and gain a different status–as divorcees. And again, there are various rights and responsibilities they will now acquire.
But if the individuals could start their own relationship and get it recognized by the government, than that government ought to recognize when those people have ended their relationship.
And for the record, I’m against polygamy, but in favor of same-sex marriages. The latter have been legal in Canada since the 1990s, I believe, and the sky has not fallen. I also think it quite small-minded for those opposed to same-sex marriage to argue that governments need to “get out of the business” of marriage just because homosexual couples are applying for marriage licenses. I don’t think they’ve thought through the sociological, legal, and economic ramifications of that position.
“…then that government…”–I can’t believe I just made that mistake; it must be past my bedtime.
What about those in favor of same-sex marriage? (Again, why should homosexuals get to have all that fun while the rest of us have to get married?) Is it small-minded for them to think the government ought to leave them homos alone, and leave us alone too?
Too cute, Brendon! Of course, many homosexuals do not want to marry, just as many heterosexuals do not want to. I think each group deserves the choice, though. That means that homosexual couples deserve the right to marry if they desire, while heterosexual couples living common-law should be allowed to separate without any incurring financial responsibilities to ex-partners (except when children are involved).
you Americans really don’t know what “porned” means” ??
do you know what “moron” means?
Why don’t you elucidate?
Yes. I think it starts with a C and possibly has two As in the middle, and definitely has the wrong idea about the porn shop. But you tell us.
Craash, you have indeed been a posterchild for moronic writing, both content and style. Dumb stuff like Kazakhstan suffering the same fate as Tibet at the hands of China, and other howlers. At your level of commentary, you should at least grant us the courtesy of taking the time to Wikipedia things before you spout.
Give a dictionary a try once in a while, Craash. You don’t even have to buy ‘em or turn the pages anymore.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pawn
I think craash pwned himself…
My (Korean) wife, upon reading the story, immediately sided with the wife. The son ought to have defended her, gently, against the father–telling him about cultural differences and that he would try to teach her to behave…
As an American, I might have taken the “forsaking all others” part of the wedding vows a bit too literally; but I wouldn’t stand for that crap from my folks… But I wouldn’t be living in their house with a new wife, either…
Craash:
Awesome. Thank you for the laugh.
I’m sorry for the personal tragedy in this and similar marriages.
That said, I can’t get the image out of my head, of the wife sitting with her chin in her hand(s) staring at the old ajosshi while he ate (something she cooked to his order, no doubt). Just hilarious.
By the way, is there anything foreigners do that is not offensive in Korea?
You go, girl!
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