MigrantWorkers Center :: View topic - More jobs available for foreign wives

By Kim Bo-eun

More job opportunities will be offered for foreigners marrying Koreans.

The government plans to actively help foreign wives find jobs to help them integrate into Korean society.

The plan is contained in new policy measures for multiracial families announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik. The measures will be implemented over five years from 2013.

Kim has promised to provide financial support to social enterprises so they can cover minimum wages and health insurance fees for foreign spouses they employ.

It will also expand the pool of those who can receive training and also pay 25 to 45 percent of the fees for vocational courses.

Another part of the plan is to expand support for children born to interracial couples, who have been experiencing difficulty adjusting to school life.

The number of programs offered for children before they enter elementary school will be increased from 26 to 50 next year. Students will also be able to take Korean language classes as part of their curriculum or as extracurricular studies.

“We will focus government policies on supporting members of multicultural families so that they can become competent individuals in Korean society,” Kim said.

The administration also plans to enable families of foreign residents and migrant workers to enjoy the same support programs available for multiracial families.

The administration also plans to toughen standards that permit Korean men to wed foreign wives, to protect the women’s rights and enhance the quality of lives for multiracial families in the nation.

It has decided to tighten standards on issuing visas to foreign wives, through confirming the man’s ability to work and earn a living, starting in 2013.

The government previously had only rejected men who had gone bankrupt or defaulted on loans, which led to foreign wives wedding men lacking the ability to sustain a family.

Methods to fix the shortcomings of the current procedure of interracial marriage as well as manage unregistered matchmaking firms were also reviewed at the meeting.

Interviews preceding marriage registration were discussed as a measure to ensure that both people are willing to get married. The government also plans to crackdown on unregistered matchmaking firms and establish counseling centers for victims of abuse in interracial marriages.

“We will make all possible efforts so that the plans can be followed up on every year,” said Kim.