18 July 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez received at the Embassy Chancery the officers and members of the Filipino Korean Spouses Association (FKSA), led by its president Fe Kim, on July 13. 

Ambassador Hernandez commended the group and the assistance they have given to the many Filipina spouses of Koreans who initially had problems adjusting to, and communicating with, their husbands or their in-laws.   

 “Raising a family is hard enough, and to do it while in a foreign country with limited knowledge of its language and culture, is a great challenge that could be more easily overcome with the support of other women who can share the wisdom gained from their own early struggles”, said Ambassador Hernandez.

 “When our organization started, there were a lot of abuses and maladjustment suffered by immigrant wives in Korea”, said Ms. Kim. “Which is why [FKSA] pushed for improvements to help in the adjustment of foreigner spouses to life in Korea, such as the offering of Korean language programs offered by multicultural centers of Korea.”

FKSA is a Filipino community organization whose officers are mostly based in Incheon, but also has branches in several regions of Korea. It is a recipient in December 2008 of the Banaag Award under the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas.

FKSA was established in 2001 by five Filipina spouses of Koreans who saw the need to help women like themselves to adjust to Korean family life and culture.  END