'Walking in Her Shoes' : Prospects and Challenges of Marriage Migrants in South Korea

Rapid industralization, economic growth and urbanization have resulted in an influx of international migrants to South Korea since the 1990s. Since the 2000s, there has been a significant increase in the migration of women, which is an illustration of the global trend of feminization of migration. In Korea, the number of international marriage peaked in 2006 with almost 13% of total marriages being international marriage with 80% of those marriage involving Korean men and foreign brides. International marriage is now the most dynamic form of permanent migration in Korea. It has also become a new and growing avenue for violation of human rights, exploitation, forced marriage and illicit trafficking. However, the Korean self-identity of racial homogeneity dies hard, and the concept of "multiculturalism" or ethnic coexistence has yet to reach the stage where people can discuss how to integrate different cultural groups into a harmonious society and benefit from the diversity. This article will look at the dynamics of international marriages in Korea through an overview of migration theories and argue the importance of recognizing that the migration processes of marriage migrants have internal dynamics, but at the same time the migrants' agency should not obscure the real constraints that they face. Secondly, the paper will examine the background and various factors that pull marriage migrants to Korea and consider several case studies and narratives of marriage migrants to analyze the complex dynamics of agency and victimization of marriage migrants in Korea. Agency and victimization Lastly, the paper will explore the legal institutions pertaining to marriage migrants, point out the legal constraints and consider ways to improve the situation for marriage migrants