<Our position on the case of Vietnamese woman Thach Thi Hong Ngoc who was murdered by her husband>

Another regrettable case of a Vietnamese woman reaching the end of her life under unusual circumstances on Korean soil has occurred.   At the tender age of twenty and without having had the chance to blossom, a  life was abruptedly cut short as a body discarded in an unfamiliar land, beaten mercilessly and killed by a weapon brandished by the husband. With the memory of the 2007 murder of Huynh Mai, who was also murdered by her husband, still fresh in our minds, we can only be horrified by the cruel incident.

The victim, Thach Thi Hong Ngoc, after meeting a 47-year-old man identified as Chang in Ho Chi Minh in February 2010, married him after meeting him once, and arrived in Korea on July 1st. The problem was the fact that the husband suffered from a mental disorder and for eight years, had been taking medication for symptoms of schizophrenia.  Chang, after severely beating his wife, stabbed and killed her with a knife after hearing hallucinations to "kill the wife." It was only seven months since Hong Ngoc came to Korea to live with her husband.

In confronting this tragic incident which goes beyond our imagination as members of Korean society, we feel unbearable rage and regret as well as shame and responsibility.  In many ways, we can say that this tragedy was already foretold.

We, the migrant and women's civic groups who are focused on the human rights of marriage migrants have problematized the dysfunctional marriages brought about by marriage brokerage agencies to the government on many occasions, but due to the fact that a proactive solution has not been found, we have met such a tragedy.  At this point, we cannot but emphasize again the fundamental problems of international marriage as they are taking place in Korea today.

First, the position of the government which has been overlooking the current reality of international marriages. In fact, most Asian countries which are engaging in international marriage with Korea have outlawed marriages from marriage brokerage agencies. Moreover, the fact that the brokerage practices of the marriage agencies are extremely akin to human trafficking cannot but be a legal, but also human rights problem.  However, the Korean government regards the problem of brokerage agencies as solved with the enactment of the <Law Regarding the Management of Marriage Brokerage Agencies>.  Although the law enacted by the government aims to regulate and punish certain areas of activity, in reality, the law amplifies the legality of the activities of brokerage agencies. Still, despite the prevalence of the illegal brokerage practices, in a situation without management or directing of these agencies, and introducing themselves as registered firms with the government to ordinary people, the agencies have secured legal and social legitimacy. Not only that, other than the agencies that insist that they are acting in a legal and normal manner, the law is unable to exert any influence on the many agencies engaging in underground activities, unregistered firms, as well as individual brokers. Ultimately, the marriage brokerage industry is left as a sector unable to be regulated and is structured so that those who engage in international marriage remain as victims. This tragedy involving the death of a Vietnamese woman plainly reflects this situation.

Second, is the problem of practices involving international marriage brokerage agencies.  According to current law, brokerage agencies have the responsibility to inform both parties of the others' personal information, specifically, medical history, criminal record, occupation, age, assets, etc, in languages that can be understood by each respective party through translation or interpretation.  The law makes clear that those who violate this requirement will be subject to penalties and punishment.  However, in reality, none of these requirements are enforced.  Especially in the case of women, they must be the one out of many who is selected by the Korean man, and have no power to select a future husband based on specific information.  Because they have no way to confirm whether the spouse has the ability to maintain married life, such a tragedy as this one can reoccur at any time.  There needs to be a way to regulate and improve the actions of marriage brokerage firms, most of which are concerned with profits rather than the lives of people.

In a situation where the violence again female marriage migrants continues, the government direly needs to realize the consequence of having legitimatized the agencies by having enacted a law on marriage brokerage and that it cannot escape from political and moral criticism for being a direct cooperator and accomplice in human rights violation and human trafficking behavior.

Third, is the problem of awareness regarding the individuals wanting to take part in international marriage and their families, and further, the awareness of Korean society regarding international marriage. For the reason that these are women from poorer countries, the irresponsible behavior of Koreans wanting to hand over the burden of taking care of sons or brothers who are incapable of living on their own, even those with long-term mental disorders or alcohol addiction, is no different from trafficking. From the perspective of the individual as well as of society, there needs to be a more mature understanding of the institution of marriage. In order to do so, the national government or regional civil society needs to establish a overarching framework for educating and counseling those who want to engage in international marriage.

The judge in charge of the trial of Huynh Mai, who was also killed by her husband, said the following, which reflects the overall immaturity of Korean society:＂the hard-heartedness of treating women from economically less developed countries as objects that we import as a marriage plan for rural men, the thoughtlessness of treating a man and women living together as having completed the tasks of marriage even though they cannot communicate. Such naivete on our part, like this tragedy, is like embracing the seeds of our destruction as a country.  At this juncture, we must painfully admit the internal barbarity of ourselves while being trapped in the outward appearance of a strong economic power and civilized country of the 21st century. " Recalling such introspection and hoping that this tragedy will not be concluded as just another impulsive murder of a wife by a mentally-distressed person, we urge the government and society of the following.

Our Demands

-The Korean government must provide a proposal for fundamentally eliminating the characteristics of trafficking, which appear in international marriage practice.

-At the minimum, the government needs to investigate whether the marriage brokerage agency in this particular case abided by the current existing laws and at this opportunity, disapproving voices and introspection over the agencies that continue to engage in illegal activities needs to be disseminated throughout society.

- In order that such a tragedy does not occur again, those agencies that manage and direct the activities of brokerages, beginning with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as well as various national and regional groups need to express a clear stance on a comprehensive management and control as well as strict implementation of the law.

-There needs to be education in advance of those Koreans and their families who hope for international marriage in order to ensure a marriage in which the human rights of foreign spouses are protected.