“Rabat”, # 43(77), 27/11/2003
A. Masaleva

   What is attractive about the television advertising, which offer marriages to citizens of South Korea? Is it the promise of a happy marriage with lots of kids? Are they really customers at a Korean brothel? Rabat has decided to use its staff to find out some details.
   How to become a Korean homemaker, excuse me, wife.
   In order to know for sure, I decided it was necessary to try everything for myself, so I decided to “marry in South Korea”. I made a short call and gave some basic information about myself: non-Russian, short, young, without child. As it turned out, my anthropological and biographical data (including the fact that I am not Russian) ideally suited the requirements of the matchmaking company. I was invited to the office for an interview.
   Nice Korean girl described all the charm of Korean married life. First of all, in her words, Koreans appreciate the beauty of women, her character, and mental qualities. Work is not necessarily the most important – taking care of her husband, washing, and cleaning. In her view, this is not enough for many Korean women, whose careers more important than family. An emancipation might not like Korean men.
   I was curious about why they did not want Russian women, do they not want to get married in South Korea? It turned out that Russians are too different from the Korean people. Also Russian girls are believed to be of easy virtues, and for Koreans this issue is very sensitive.
   Strange as it may seem, I also was asked to describe my desired future spouse: age, astrological sign, nationality (?!), character, physical security, and other specification that I had. Photos of the groom, I was not shown. It was explained that technological advances in Korea were so developed that the picture just said beautiful. Apparently, wishing to be objective, the girl in the hearts say: “Do you have Koreans that I can see?”
   I was left to wait for the arrival of the representative of the company on the Korean side, which would select candidates. I had a chance to talk and him. In the first place, I had to explain why I wanted to marry in South Korea. Then I was looked at from head to toe, and asked if I know how to dance. In the end, I announced that I really liked the Korean mean and that I needed a passport. This was the only cost that I would have, and could be in Korea in the next 10 days. It was my parents' consent to let their daughter go.
   A group of 10 brides were selected. Afterwards these women, the future Korean wives, lived for 3 months in the hostel, learning the Korean language, traditions and customs of the people. Every Friday grooms would come from all over Korea, with the photos and profiles of the girls to help choose. Then they are introduced: at a meeting to start, trips to restaurants and cinemas, but I was assured with no sex.
   Only when there was mutual admiration would a relationship end in a wedding, but in fact, most marriages took place “in bulk” - ten pairs together.
   If the “young” were not chosen, but settled there to work, her parents would have to pay 3000 dollars. “We are not a charitable organization,” I was strictly warned.
   Guarantees? What kind of guarantee?
   It is clear that the future bride's interest is whether or not they will be received in a tolerant home. As proof, the company has created a cogent argument. First, it advertises that the company has been in existence for 13 years and has successfully married many brides, and no complaints had been made. Also no one has returned making complaints about conditions there.
   The second proof is a colorful album of wedding photos taken in Korea during the honeymoons. And in general, they trust the company. They assume everything is based on mutual trust. A last argument is simply that “We are taking them to work and marry!”
   Already married and unbearable
   I think that desperate young women, who have nothing to lose here, are drawn into this. I am sure that they would be capable of pleasing a Korean groom, but trusting the companies that arrange this blindly is stupid. We asked for comments from the Legal Center for Women’s Initiatives “Sana Sezim”.
   Their hotline operator, Zulfiya Usmanova, identified what should be the priority for the departing bride. The first thing to do is to contact the embassy of the country where you choose to marry. This marriage agency must be registered with the diplomats. The address of the Korean Embassy in Almaty: Mining giant street. Dzharkentskaya, 2 / 77, tel. 8 (3272) 53 - 26 - 91, 53-26-60, 53-29-89, fax 8 (3272) 50-70-69.
   Observations and other precautions:
   1. Draw up the contact with the company using a lawyer.
   2. Always keep your passport with you.
   3. Make sure you leave your friends and family the information about what you’re doing. They should know all the details: where you are going, why, under what conditions?
   4. Make several photocopies of all your documents (passport, ticket, contract, etc.). For instance take with you and leave some with loved ones at home.
   5. In any case, leave a “fresh” photo of yourself.
   6. Never move illegally. If you are ever charged with anything it will be very difficult to prove your innocence in this case.
   7. It is preferable to know at least a little bit of the language of the country where you are going. At least know English at a colloquial level. Bring a dictionary and a phrasebook of the language where you are going.
   8. Take an international payphone card. Don’t lose it and hide it well!
   9. Ask a travel agency how much it would cost to return home and bring that necessary amount.
   10. Know the address of the Kazakhstan Embassy in Korea: the city of Seoul, 32-15 Non Hyn-Dong, Kang Nam Ky, 135-010, tel. 8 (10-8-22) 548-14-15, 516-14-40, fax 548-14-16.
   11. Open an email account so you can always contact your family through the Internet.
   12. Remember that free cheese is only a trap for a mouse.