Mail-Order Brides Face Gov't Screening

The government plans to interview foreigners who apply for a visa to marry Koreans before the couples register their marriage. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said on Tuesday that it would start screening mail-order brides in the first half of next year.

At present, Koreans seeking to marry foreigners have to report their marriage to the host governments and then apply for entry visas to Korea. This has led to the belated visa rejection and other problems that can jeopardize the marriage.

"Koreans rush into marriage with mail-order brides without getting to know them properly, which has led to problems like divorce and separation," a ministry official said. "We have come up with steps to verify visa eligibility before couples register their marriage."

The divorce rate among mixed-race couples continues to rise. Divorces between Korean men and foreign brides rose from 2,382 cases in 2005 to 8,349 in 2011, almost tripling in six years.

But in future consular officials at Korean embassies and other missions overseas will quiz both husband and wife about how well they know each other.