
Rural counties offer men marrying foreign brides money to defray costs
The number of foreign residents in Korea continues to grow and now accounts for some 3.6 percent of the country’s population. This story is part of a series that examines how Korea is grappling with the issue of multiculturalism, as well as the challenges facing new arrivals.
Raising a rural population that has been declining for come 30 years has long been near the top of the government agenda, with some municipal governments resorting to helping pay for foreign brides.
Over 35 municipal governments that depend on the agriculture and fisheries industries have implemented bylaws providing marriage subsidies to local men who tie the knot with foreign brides, raising concerns among experts on government-led measures that encourages them to “purchase” brides from outside the country, generally from Southeast Asia, to increase the population and stem the rural exodus.
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Source: Korea Herald
