I’m slowly losing faith in the justice system in Korea. What with the controversial decisions being handed down by its courts – the Hebei Spirit case and the suspended sentences on two men who raped their kin among others. And now, a husband who was divorced without his knowledge and a Vietnamese woman who was denied of her rights as a mother. I wouldn’t blame anyone who would doubt the credibility of the judges in those cases.
The case of the Vietnamese mother isn’t new to me. I had heard of a similar case before but that one didn’t end up in court. Taking away a child from a mother isn’t humane eventhough there are some mothers who would abandon their kids so they could remmary. Asking the court’s intervention shows how much the Vietnamese mother wanted her children.
Granted that the Vietnamese married to probably have a better life in Korea, what her supposed husband did to her is truly unfair since it’s also possible that she’s willing to fulfill her marital obligations. He on the other hand, based on what was written, purposely used her.
“Granted that the Vietnamese married to probably have a better life in Korea, what her supposed husband did to her is truly unfair since it’s also possible that she’s willing to fulfill her marital obligations”
– I agree, and this is very unfortunate.
Quote from the News Article-
“The Seoul Family Court cited the “children’s lack of awareness” of her as their mother as its primary reasoning. The 26-year-old married to a divorced Korean man in his 50s in August 2003 and gave birth to two daughters in the following two years”
– a 26 year old woman and a man on his 50s??? and what shall we expect? Gone are the fairy tales, im sure its not serendipity. I feel a bit vindicated.
I don’t really know what to think about this.
On the one hand I’m very saddened by the buying and selling of young SE Asian women, who are essentially slaves to otherwise unmarriable Korean men. (Not against these “mail-order relationships,” but I’m uncomfortable by the way they’re often done.) I’m also troubled that it looks like the Korean couple here basically used the Vietnamese woman as a baby machine, knowing she has no resources and no recourse.
But on the other hand, of course a woman in her place cannot care for a child. I see it less an issue with maternal rights than one of exploitation, of a woman bought and brought to Korea for breeding purposes, then divorced and dismissed.
As an American I’m aware that divorce proceedings practically always favor the mother, and that fathers and ex-husbands get the raw end of the deal. In Korea, it seems the opposite is the case. Neither is right, but I’m always careful about complaining about the Korean situation, seeing how biased it is the other way in the States.
ate, i’m currently listening to tbs efm’s Soul of Asia… oh, just the name “Anna” made me really excited and when the “Anna” started talking, ang nasabi ko “si Ate Betchay to”…
I feel sad for the Vietnamese mother. Even if she did marry to get a better life, she is the biological mother of the children. In a way, they both used each other – but I don’t get the court’s basis on “lack of awareness.” Because if it were a fair court, they should base their decision on DNA in addition to other factors, and I do agree the Vietnamese mother really cares because she will not go through the hassle of the court system to get her children back.
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