Korean men marrying Cambodian women.The Chosun Ilbo
South Korea
Seoul - The Cambodian government has decided to temporarily forbid marriages between Cambodian women and Korean men to curb the mail-order bride business. Phnom Penh says Korean men often fail to observe the month-long consideration period for which they are required to stay in Cambodia to undergo an interview and a review of documents.
A Korean government source on Friday said the Cambodian government informed the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh of the ban in an official letter on March 5.
The measure was taken after a woman was arrested for lining up no fewer than 25 Cambodian girls as potential brides for a Korean man to choose from, according to the source.
The Korean Embassy suspended receipt of applications for consular international marriage certificates on March 8, and will also temporarily suspend a settlement support program for immigrant spouses from Cambodia on April 1.
"International marriages should occur after free dating and the couples should decide on their own which country to live in after marriage. But Koreans, who account for 60 percent of international marriages in Cambodia, mostly meet Cambodian women through matchmakers," a government official said.
The arrest of the woman prompted the Cambodian government to enforce the ban amid deteriorating sentiment about Koreans among locals, he added.
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Cambodia bans citizens from marrying South Koreans
The Washington Post
Saturday, March 20, 2010;
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia has temporarily banned marriages between local women and South Korean men over concerns about human trafficking, officials said on Saturday.
The ban was enforced after Cambodian police arrested a woman who had lured 25 girls from rural areas, each of whom paid money to marry South Korean men, government spokesman Koy Kuong said.
"This act was trafficking of women and children," he said, adding that the Cambodian court recently sentenced the woman to 10 years in prison.
Koy Kuong said the South Korean embassy in Phnom Penh had been notified on March 5 about the temporary ban. It was not known when the restriction would be lifted.
Cambodia is a hugely popular destination for South Korean tourists and investors. South Korea is Cambodia's second-biggest source of foreign direct investment after China.
An influx of investment from the country after 2004, mainly in garments, IT, and tourism, helped spur four years of double-digit growth in Cambodia. It has since fallen by about 50 percent as a result of the global financial crisis.
Bith Kimhong, head of the police's Anti-Human Trafficking Department, told Reuters that the convicted woman had charged $100 from every girl selected by South Korean men for marriage.
He said agents were banned from facilitating marriages, adding that the law required foreigners to first talk to the parents of their future spouses.
"Taking commission for marriage is illegal," he said. "If you want to have a Cambodian woman to be your wife, you have to ask for her hand traditionally and be registered at the village and community level."
(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Martin Petty and Ron Popeski)
A Korean government source on Friday said the Cambodian government informed the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh of the ban in an official letter on March 5.
The measure was taken after a woman was arrested for lining up no fewer than 25 Cambodian girls as potential brides for a Korean man to choose from, according to the source.
The Korean Embassy suspended receipt of applications for consular international marriage certificates on March 8, and will also temporarily suspend a settlement support program for immigrant spouses from Cambodia on April 1.
"International marriages should occur after free dating and the couples should decide on their own which country to live in after marriage. But Koreans, who account for 60 percent of international marriages in Cambodia, mostly meet Cambodian women through matchmakers," a government official said.
The arrest of the woman prompted the Cambodian government to enforce the ban amid deteriorating sentiment about Koreans among locals, he added.
---------------------------------
Cambodia bans citizens from marrying South Koreans
The Washington Post
Saturday, March 20, 2010;
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia has temporarily banned marriages between local women and South Korean men over concerns about human trafficking, officials said on Saturday.
The ban was enforced after Cambodian police arrested a woman who had lured 25 girls from rural areas, each of whom paid money to marry South Korean men, government spokesman Koy Kuong said.
"This act was trafficking of women and children," he said, adding that the Cambodian court recently sentenced the woman to 10 years in prison.
Koy Kuong said the South Korean embassy in Phnom Penh had been notified on March 5 about the temporary ban. It was not known when the restriction would be lifted.
Cambodia is a hugely popular destination for South Korean tourists and investors. South Korea is Cambodia's second-biggest source of foreign direct investment after China.
An influx of investment from the country after 2004, mainly in garments, IT, and tourism, helped spur four years of double-digit growth in Cambodia. It has since fallen by about 50 percent as a result of the global financial crisis.
Bith Kimhong, head of the police's Anti-Human Trafficking Department, told Reuters that the convicted woman had charged $100 from every girl selected by South Korean men for marriage.
He said agents were banned from facilitating marriages, adding that the law required foreigners to first talk to the parents of their future spouses.
"Taking commission for marriage is illegal," he said. "If you want to have a Cambodian woman to be your wife, you have to ask for her hand traditionally and be registered at the village and community level."
(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Martin Petty and Ron Popeski)
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