Seoul, 28 November 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul raised the issues of illegal marriage brokering by Korean agents in the Philippines and the trafficking of Filipina ‘entertainers’ into Korea in Second Multicultural and Law Forum held in Ansan City on 27 November 2013.

Organized by the Institute of Globalization and Multicultural Studies of Hanyang University, Korean prosecutors and immigration officials, representatives of embassies and foreign community groups were invited to discuss challenges of multiculturalism in the South Korean society. As one of the forum speakers, Second Secretary and Consul Aian Caringal said “most of the serious cases were already problematic from the start as the Filipino women either went through illegal marriage brokers or were trafficked to Korea as entertainers. As soon as the women reach Korea, their passports and other personal documents are taken from them by the employers, husbands or in-laws. Some are even not allowed to use or own a cellphone.” Marriage brokering is considered illegal in the Philippines under the Anti Mail-Order-Bride Law, also known as Republic Act 6955, which prohibits the business of organizing or facilitating marriages between Philippine women and foreign men in the Philippines yet it persists despite the physical and emotional abuse that the women go through. “There was even the case of a Vietnamese bride murdered by her Korean husband just eight days after she arrived in Korea in July 2010”, added Consul Caringal. It was not known to the bride that her husband has a mental disorder. Similarly, some of the female entertainers are lured by unscrupulous promoters and talent managers to Korea and once they arrive in Korea, they find out that they will be working instead as prostitutes for less than half the salary promised to them. In most cases, they circumvent the procedures of POEA. The participation in this forum is one of several activities being undertaken by the Embassy to prevent trafficking and domestic abuse against Filipino women in South Korea.