By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter


More than half of foreigners married to Koreans said they would not marry Koreans again if they were to separate with their spouses, a survey showed Monday.

The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) reported that 52 percent of foreign nationals married to Koreans have no intention of marrying a Korean again if they were given a second chance.

The report is based on a survey of 100 foreign spouses living here in South Korea or abroad.

About 80 percent of the female respondents said they would not marry a Korean man for a second time, while 58 percent of males said they would marry a Korean woman again.

Lack of dialogue, excessive interference of in-law family members in household affairs, an indifference toward housework and coming home late were among the main complaints of foreign spouses.

``The general objection toward some aspects of Korea’s male-centered family culture seems to amplify in bicultural marriages, most obviously for women,’’ said Choi Jung-wha, a professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and president of the CICI.

The CICI was established in 2002 with an aim of promoting a positive image of Korea abroad. The group releases two reports every year identifying the images of Korea and its people through the eyes of foreigners.

The current survey was conducted among people in the mid-to-high income bracket, with more than half of the group being businessmen or scholars.

Fifty-two of the 100 foreign nationals who participated in the poll were men and 48 were women. Around 60 percent of them were in their 20s and 30s.

About 40 percent of the respondents came from European countries, followed by 30 percent from Asian countries and 20 percent from North America.

Compassion, diligence, dauntlessness and passion for their children’s education were cited as the positive characteristics of Korean spouses.

More than 80 percent of the respondents said they married their Korean partner mainly because they admired their personality.

``A lot of foreigners pointed out personality as the strong points of their Korean spouses, which reinstate Koreans’ overall image as kindhearted people,’’ said Choi.

``However, foreign spouses wanted their Korean spouses to show better willingness for communication, to value family over job and be less emotional and more rational in decision-making,’’ she said.

The survey also proved that the perceived image of Korea and its people has yet to catch up with the country’s enhanced economic status in recent years.

About 45 percent of the respondents said they faced opposition by family members when they decided to marry their Korean spouse.

In more than 80 percent of such cases, the respondents said the family members were influenced by an overall negative image of Korea.

The ideas of Korea being a closed society to foreign cultures or dominated by male-centered family values were among the negative perceptions toward the country.

However, actually living with Koreans seems to have not been enough for most foreigners in changing their old perceptions of the country.

More than 80 percent of the respondents answered ``No’’ to the question: ``Do you think Korea is an internationalized country?’’

``Our survey shows that Korea’s overall image is not only a matter in the business sector but also in the everyday lives of people. Our challenge is to improve our country’s image and better integrate to different cultures,’？said Choi.

More than half of the bicultural couples said they communicate through English, while 16 percent of them said they communicate through Korean.

However, 43 percent of the couples said their children speak Korean.

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr