외국여자가 한국의 유리천장을 깬다는 것 (BBC)

*주요내용

Getting married in South Korea is something that's almost considered a social responsibility. Since the 1990s, the South Korean government has had to create policies to encourage Korean men, initially those in rural areas who could not find a match, to marry women from overseas.Many of these women come to South Korea without even knowing the language, but despite this, they are carving out a significant place for themselves in Korean society. she is now a police officer, one of few who are not ethnically Korean. I don't think anybody has a problem with me not 'looking Korean'," she says. She works as a Foreign Affairs Officer, acting as a bridge between the Nepalese and Korean community. The number of women who have come to Korea and married Korean men has more than doubled in recent years, from 120,110 in 2007 to 287,298 in 2019. stereotypes that East and South Asian migrant wives are mail order brides or who are "sold" to their husbands still exist, as does discrimination. feels Korean society has made progress in including more people from different cultural backgrounds. Since 2008, the Korean government has established multicultural support centres. "Now there is a large foreign community and I've met so many different people while doing my job," she said.  she helped Vietnamese workers who had been arrested for striking over their working conditions.  Kyla has moved on and works as a mentor for migrant wives, while also translating for the police and immigration services. She tells her mentees they are not just marrying into a family but also a culture. "Korean men get educated on what it means to start a multicultural family, that didn't used to happen,"

 

한국에서 결혼을 한다는 것은 사회적인 책임을 고려해야 한다는 것이다. 1990년 이후, 한국 정부는 시골남자가 외국여자와 결혼하는 것을 장려하는 정책을 시행해왔다. 많은 여성들은 한국어를 못한채 왔지만, 한국사회에서 제자리를 잡아왔다. 네팔에서 온 그녀는 한국인의 혈통을 갖지 않은 소수의 경찰 중 한명이다. 한국인과 다른 외모로 인한 여러움은 없다고 말한다. 외무부에서 네팔인과 한국인 커뮤니티를 연결하는 다리의 역할도 하고 있다. 한국인과 결혼해 한국으로 오게된 여성의 수는 2007년 12만 여명에서 2019년 29만명으로 늘게 되었다. 주로 동남아시아 여성들은 많은데, 우편으로온 신부 혹은 돈에 팔려온 신부라는 편견과 차별이 아직도 존재한다. 하지만 한국 사회도 다른 문화의 배경에 대한 인식의 변화가 이뤄지고 있다. 한 베트남 여성은 많은 외국 커뮤니티가 있어 많은 외국인들은 만나게 된다면서, 업무환경으로 인해 시위를 한 베트남 노동자를 돕고 있다. 한 필리핀 여성 Kyla는 외국인 여성들의 맨토 역할을 하며, 경찰과 이민국에 번역사로 활동한다. 그녀는 멘토로써 결혼을 한다는 것은 단지 가족뿐아니라 그 문화와도 결혼을 하는 것이라며, 한국 남자들은 다문화가정의 의미를 배우고 있으며 이전에는 한국사회에서 존재하지 않았던 것이라고 했다. 

 

*단어

carving out 조각하다, 만들어가다
naturalised citizen 귀화시민
the government-run Multicultural Family Support Centre 정부 운영 다문화가족 도움센터
customary honorific terms 관례적인 존대말
mentees 맨토의 조언을 듣는사람

 

*짧평

유리천장을 깬 외국인 여성들에 대한 기사였지만, 오히려 아직도 갇혀있는 것 같아 보인다. 예를든 그들의 직업이 한국인들이 선호하는 한국인과 경쟁하는 직업이 아니라, 외국이주민들과 한국인과 결혼한 외국인 여성들을 도와주는 기관에서 일하는 것이 모두 였기 때문이다. 그들의 삶을 걸고 한국인과 결혼해 한국에 온 그녀들... 본문의 Kyla라는 여성이 한 말 처럼 한국이라는 사회와도 결혼하는 일이며, 패쇄적인 그 와의 결혼은 절대 녹록치 않은 일이다. 

 

Getting married in South Korea is something that's almost considered a social responsibility.

Since the 1990s, the South Korean government has had to create policies to encourage Korean men, initially those in rural areas who could not find a match, to marry women from overseas.

But the lives of these "marriage migrant" women are not easy. Some face stigma once they move to South Korea, and there have been reports of domestic violence and abuse.

Many of these women come to South Korea without even knowing the language, but despite this, they are carving out a significant place for themselves in Korean society.

These are some of their stories.

The police officer

Kim Hana first met her husband on a blind date arranged by her aunty in Nepal.

He had flown over from South Korea, and within three days they were discussing marriage. They moved to Korea that same year.

According to her, it's not uncommon for young Nepalese people to want to go overseas - whether for marriage or work - as there are limited opportunities in Nepal.

Fast forward 11 years, and she is now a police officer, one of few who are not ethnically Korean.

"There may be people who think I'm not a good enough cop compared to a native Korean person... but I don't have time to think about that," said the 31-year-old, who changed her Nepali name (Samjhana Rai) when she became a naturalised citizen.

"When I'm wearing my uniform and have a gun on my waist, I don't think anybody has a problem with me not 'looking Korean'," she says.

She works as a Foreign Affairs Officer, acting as a bridge between the Nepalese and Korean community.

IMAGE SOURCEKIM HANA

image caption Following her move to South Korea, Kim Hana (right) studied at a university where she met other Nepali students

The number of women who have come to Korea and married Korean men has more than doubled in recent years, from 120,110 in 2007 to 287,298 in 2019, according to the government-run Multicultural Family Support Centre.

But stereotypes that East and South Asian migrant wives are mail order brides or who are "sold" to their husbands still exist, as does discrimination.

"I remember, when my son was little, getting on the bus and a man shouted at me, 'Vietnam, come sit here!'" Kim Hana said. Vietnamese women make up about a third - and the biggest percentage - of foreign wives in South Korea.

Kim Hana however, has largely been able to shake this off - and feels Korean society has made progress in including more people from different cultural backgrounds.

Since 2008, the Korean government has established multicultural support centres.

"Now there is a large foreign community and I've met so many different people while doing my job," she said.

The migrant rights activist

Won Ok Kum first met her husband in her home country of Vietnam.

Today, the farmer's daughter holds a master's degree in law administration and previously held the title of the honorary mayor of Seoul.

Last year, she even ran to become an MP for the ruling liberal Democratic Party, one of few people of non-Korean ethnicity to do so - but she lost.

Despite this, she's continuing her work and is campaigning for a law which would amp up the monitoring of discrimination against migrant workers.

image captionWon Ok Kum has faced challenges living in South Korea, but also sees more opportunities there than back home

A turning point for her was when she helped Vietnamese workers who had been arrested for striking over their working conditions.

"In Vietnam I could never have imagined holding those in power to account, but seeing those workers win the case, I realised in South Korea we could make real change," she said.

Despite this she has met her share of setbacks. Recently, when trying to help migrant workers get their visas extended, an immigration officer refused to address her using customary honorific terms.

"If I was being treated like that, imagine how other migrants are being treated," she says.

The interpreter

When Kyla* arrived in Seoul from the Philippines in 1999 at the age of 24, she couldn't communicate with her Korean husband. She had never been abroad and this was her first relationship.

They had been matched through the Unification Church in the Philippines, but after a few years her marriage broke down.

He started drinking and finally he left the family home, cutting off financial support for her and their three children.

"He asked for a divorce, but divorce isn't the done thing in the Philippines, so I initially refused," she says.

Left without support, Kyla sought work as a teacher.

"I would work long hours. But then sometimes I didn't bring home enough money to cover all the bills," she explains.

IMAGE SOURCEGETTY IMAGES

image caption Many migrant wives arrive in South Korea not knowing the language

 

Today, Kyla has moved on and works as a mentor for migrant wives, while also translating for the police and immigration services.

She tells her mentees they are not just marrying into a family but also a culture. Kyla adds that the support given by the multicultural centres, which are now increasingly including men in the conversation, has also proven helpful.

"Korean men get educated on what it means to start a multicultural family, that didn't used to happen," she says.

Looking ahead, Kyla says she wants her children to have the same opportunities as other Korean children.

Her daughter is training to be a K-Pop star, her middle son started work at an IT company and her eldest son is doing his compulsory military service in the Navy.

"I have done everything I can to [help] my children to flourish," she says.

*Name has been changed.

 

*원문

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57716704