06 February 2015 –Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez and South Korea’s Minister Kim Heejung of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) met on February 05 in Seoul to discuss issues affecting the welfare of Filipina marriage immigrants in South Korea. 

During the meeting, Ambassador Hernandez thanked MOGEF for instituting reforms in marriage procedures and in taking care of marriage immigrants in South Korea.  He also highlighted the recurring problem of Korean marriage brokers illegally operating in the Philippines and shared that the Philippine Embassy processed and attended to a total of 44 cases of Filipina marriage immigrants in 2014, all of whom encountered difficulties with married life in South Korea, including some who were physically abused by their South Korean husbands or relatives of the husband. 

“It should be made clear to the marriage brokers registered in Korea that their operations in the Philippines is illegal and constitutes trafficking of Filipino women into Korea”, said Ambassador Hernandez.

Philippine Ambassador and Minister Kim agreed to exert joint cooperative efforts in assisting distressed Filipinas in South Korea and to share information on erring marriage brokers for possible legal action or blacklisting in South Korea. 

Minister Kim said that taking care of marriage immigrants is among the primary tasks of MOGEF and that they will do their best, not only in attending to crimes against, and violation of rights of, marriage immigrants, but also in helping the spouses of South Koreans adapt to married life in South Korea.

MOGEF was inaugurated in March 13, 2010 and was later reorganized on July 05, 2012 to include a division on Multicultural Family Support. In 2001, South Korea created the Ministry on Gender Equality which would be overhauled in 2005 and 2008 until it evolved into its present form which now also oversees policies on family and marriage immigrant support. END