Post: #1

Looks like I won't be marrying a Korean bitch anytime soon

Getting married in South Korea? Bring a lot of CASH!!

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/2...7Q20120427

(Reuters) - The Beatles may have sung "all you need is love," but in South Korea
a couple wanting to get married also needs cash, a lot of it - nearly $200,000,
or more than four times the average annual income.

Post: #2

I've never understood Korean social customs.

Post: #3

If only they learned that pussy is never worth their whole salary ):

Post: #4

(04-28-2012 07:41 PM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  I've never understood Korean social customs.

Trust me, don't try to learn them. Wrap your head around something else.

Aloha!

Post: #5

(04-28-2012 08:10 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 07:41 PM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  I've never understood Korean social customs.

Trust me, don't try to learn them. Wrap your head around something else.

Aloha!

Why do you say that?

Post: #6

(04-28-2012 09:23 PM)UgSlayer Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 08:10 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 07:41 PM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  I've never understood Korean social customs.

Trust me, don't try to learn them. Wrap your head around something else.

Aloha!

Why do you say that?

Because they don't make any sense.

Aloha!

Post: #7

These things happen throughout Asia. Grooms fork out huge amounts of cash to pay to the bride's family. Of course the groom can't afford it, so his family has to cover him.

Post: #8

(04-28-2012 09:32 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 09:23 PM)UgSlayer Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 08:10 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(04-28-2012 07:41 PM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  I've never understood Korean social customs.

Trust me, don't try to learn them. Wrap your head around something else.

Aloha!

Why do you say that?

Because they don't make any sense.

Aloha!

Explain

Post: #9

(04-28-2012 05:09 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  Looks like I won't be marrying a Korean bitch anytime soon

Getting married in South Korea? Bring a lot of CASH!!

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/2...7Q20120427

(Reuters) - The Beatles may have sung "all you need is love," but in South Korea
a couple wanting to get married also needs cash, a lot of it - nearly $200,000,
or more than four times the average annual income.

This is crazy, but you do realize this happens in almost every developed country in the world.

Post: #10

(04-29-2012 02:27 AM)the_conductor Wrote:  These things happen throughout Asia. Grooms fork out huge amounts of cash to pay to the bride's family. Of course the groom can't afford it, so his family has to cover him.

Not true. Talk to people in Nepal or India. Fathers literally kill themselves if they have one too many daughters. They have to give up a huge percentage of their assets to marry off their daughters.

As far as the article in the original post is concerned, I don't have hard data but my first instinct is to say this is total BS. I've been to a few weddings in South Korea and if anything, their weddings are far less expensive then ours are in America. My friend married a Korean girl and, although her family was supposed to pay for the wedding, they reneged on the promise so my friend ended up having to pay. It was only a few thousand dollars anyway. That was about the extent of the damage.

Post: #11

(04-29-2012 06:38 AM)cybermutiny Wrote:  

(04-29-2012 02:27 AM)the_conductor Wrote:  These things happen throughout Asia. Grooms fork out huge amounts of cash to pay to the bride's family. Of course the groom can't afford it, so his family has to cover him.

Not true. Talk to people in Nepal or India. Fathers literally kill themselves if they have one too many daughters. They have to give up a huge percentage of their assets to marry off their daughters.

As far as the article in the original post is concerned, I don't have hard data but my first instinct is to say this is total BS. I've been to a few weddings in South Korea and if anything, their weddings are far less expensive then ours are in America. My friend married a Korean girl and, although her family was supposed to pay for the wedding, they reneged on the promise so my friend ended up having to pay. It was only a few thousand dollars anyway. That was about the extent of the damage.

My uncle went to his friend's daughter's wedding yesterday and was back in a few hours. The US has the most fucked up wedding culture in the world. Engagement rings are supposed to be 2 months salary, there is the wedding and then a ridiculous reception (if you're not poor). The reason that this is a huge story is that it doesn't happen often in South Korea. 200 grand? That's a lot of dough but it wouldn't even be a blip on the radar in the UK or United States. Most Korean women are practical and good with money.

Post: #12

I don't know about this...
I have a few buddies who've gotten married to Korean girls and they didn't need to drop nearly that much cash. One guy had to buy them a new apartment, which was about $55,000, and give another $10,000 to the bride's parents. He was a pussy. I'm sure he could have held out and not paid a dime as the woman was 32 and the vast majority of Korean men won't marry over a chick over 30.
The other guy didn't have to fork over anything as the Korean family was quite Westernized. She was super hot too so it was a great score for him.
I'd say it's more a case by case thing for foreigners. One thing is usually universal... their family is not going to want their daughter to marry a foreigner unless he has mad cash

Post: #13

Ugslayer we understand you are trying to protect your country but weddings don't cost anywhere near that much in North America, the "developed countries" you speak of. It's okay to bring in opinions but nonfactual biases which are obviously incorrect without support are not welcome.

Anyway, I worked as a parttime job many summers ago at a bridal hall - one of the biggest in Toronto. So I have real experience on how much weddings cost for individuals both middle class and upper class (aka very rich). I wouls say out of 25 weddings that took place, roughly 3 were above $100k. Mostly around 25k-55k.

Post: #14

(04-29-2012 06:38 AM)cybermutiny Wrote:  Not true. Talk to people in Nepal or India. Fathers literally kill themselves if they have one too many daughters. They have to give up a huge percentage of their assets to marry off their daughters.

It is true in many SEA countries. Maybe not all countries in Asia. I know a guy who just got married here in Bangkok and had to hand over a large sum of cash to the family. the_conductor is Thai and has lived in BKK almost his entire life, I think he has a pretty good idea of how things work around most of SEA.

Post: #15

I wonder what the divorce rate is in Korea. They are a really tight knit community. I'm sure divorce is still considered shameful there unlike the US.

Would you guys consider paying $200k for a wife knowing she's from a good family and she's brought up to respect her husband and family like she should?

Most of these guys live with their parents even after being married so their living expenses can't be that high. So four years of salary for a good wife don't sound too bad.

There's a Korean movie on Netflix that my friend made me watch the other week. It's called The Housemaid. It's a good depiction of Korean culture and family life. The women actually bow to the man at the front door as he walks in from work. Made me laugh and say I wish.

You should check it out. It was a decent movie.

Post: #16

I wonder if they got payment plans there? Something like a lease to purchase.

Post: #17

(04-29-2012 10:09 AM)alphaspiraton Wrote:  Ugslayer we understand you are trying to protect your country but weddings don't cost anywhere near that much in North America, the "developed countries" you speak of. It's okay to bring in opinions but nonfactual biases which are obviously incorrect without support are not welcome.

Anyway, I worked as a parttime job many summers ago at a bridal hall - one of the biggest in Toronto. So I have real experience on how much weddings cost for individuals both middle class and upper class (aka very rich). I wouls say out of 25 weddings that took place, roughly 3 were above $100k. Mostly around 25k-55k.

I'm an American. My country is America. I'm visiting family here in Seoul. There are faults with the culture in south korea, ie extreme, but hidden racism, just as there are faults in other cultures. The culture may be a bit difficult to grasp for someone who isn't korean or has family from korea. I'm Korean-American, born in the US. My parents are from Korea, and even I have mini struggles from time to time.

I decided to read a bit more on the wedding situation, and the journalist deliberately called the costs "weddign costs" when it should have been "marriage costs". The costs mentioned include a house/apartment (in Korea most people save money and purchase apartments), furniture, honeymoon, etc. Housing made up almost 70 percent of the cost of the wedding. (http://www.chinapost.com.tw/life/offbeat...reans.htm) There may still be a problem with overspending, conspicuous consumption, and materialism, but the article purposely blows it way out of proportion.

Parlay: I don't know what the divorce rates are. They are definitely rising, but divorce is shamed in Korean culture. The attitude surrounding divorce may be changing as well. As for Korean newlyweds living with their parents, it may be the case if there are financial issues or if they have trouble raising a child with both parents working, but I think it is rare. Bowing is not a big deal here. It's a sign of respect, but it's more of a greeting and an acknowledgement of one's presence and departure. Also, cheating on a spouse is technically a crime in South Korea and one could potentially serve 2 years.

Post: #18

Double

Post: #19

(04-29-2012 06:47 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  I wonder what the divorce rate is in Korea. They are a really tight knit community. I'm sure divorce is still considered shameful there unlike the US.

I'm sure UgSlayer knows more than me on this one because he has family ties here (whereas I'm just some anonymous white dude). It's definitely the case that divorce is shamed here. However, just because there is a prison sentence for infidelity doesn't mean that it isn't "allowed." As you will see if you visit South Korea, certain things are against the law yet still widely practiced. For instance, prostitution is against the law yet you need only walk to a backstreet behind most major train stations to find blatant "pink light" districts. Likewise, I've heard many a story about infidelity in Korea. Hearsay perhaps, but a few Koreans told me there is a gigantic park east of Seoul proper that is supposed to be THE spot for older couples to meet their secret lovers.

Post: #20

(04-29-2012 10:32 PM)cybermutiny Wrote:  

(04-29-2012 06:47 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  I wonder what the divorce rate is in Korea. They are a really tight knit community. I'm sure divorce is still considered shameful there unlike the US.

I'm sure UgSlayer knows more than me on this one because he has family ties here (whereas I'm just some anonymous white dude). It's definitely the case that divorce is shamed here. However, just because there is a prison sentence for infidelity doesn't mean that it isn't "allowed." As you will see if you visit South Korea, certain things are against the law yet still widely practiced. For instance, prostitution is against the law yet you need only walk to a backstreet behind most major train stations to find blatant "pink light" districts. Likewise, I've heard many a story about infidelity in Korea. Hearsay perhaps, but a few Koreans told me there is a gigantic park east of Seoul proper that is supposed to be THE spot for older couples to meet their secret lovers.

100% true. People cheat all the time, but the point I was trying to make was that if a guy's wife cheats on him, he has the option to press charges. I found a fairly recent article from the economist. I'm not sure if no-fault divorce exists or what a woman is legally entitled to if she divorces a man who makes more than she does.

Quote:But marriages are breaking down, too. In Hong Kong and Japan, the general divorce rate—the number of divorces per 1,000 people aged 15 or more—was about 2.5 in the mid-2000s, according to Mr Jones’s calculations. In Asia as a whole, the rate is about 2 per 1,000. That compares with 3.7 in America, 3.4 in Britain, 3.1 in France and 2.8 in Germany. Only in one or two Asian countries is divorce as widespread as in the West. The South Korean rate, for example, is 3.5. Because divorce has been common in the West for decades, more couples there have split up. The rise in Asia has been recent: China’s divorce rate took off in the early 2000s. In the 1980s the Asian rate was 1 per 1,000 people; now it is 2. If that rise continues, Asian divorce could one day be as common as in Europe.

http://www.economist.com/node/21526329

Divorce rates are pretty high. What interested me was the part at the end that discussed international marriages, so I looked up a bit more.

Via wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_South_Korea
"International marriage" (국제결혼) has grown rapidly in South Korea since the late 1990s, and is especially common in rural farming communities. Most brides come from China, followed by Vietnam.[5] In addition, a smaller number of South Korean women marry foreign husbands; with husbands from China also leading in this category, followed by Japan.[6] In 2005, there were 31,180 marriages between South Korean men and non-Korean women; there were 11,941 marriages between South Korean women and non-Korean men. Together, these account for more than 10% of the total number of marriages in 2005: 316,375.[7] In Yeongju, a local Korean man has been featured on Korean television as "antenna man" for providing satellite TV access to immigrant women who married and moved to the rural countryside.[8]

A Kosian or Onnurian is a person of mixed Korean father and other Asian mother, or a family which mixes Korean and other Asian cultures.[9] The term, Kosian was first coined in 1997 by intercultural families to refer to themselves,.[10][11] The term is most commonly applied to children of a South Korean father and a Southeast Asian mother; its use spread in the early 2000s as international marriages became more common in rural areas.[11]

The term "Kosian" is considered offensive by some who prefer to identify themselves or their children as Korean,[12][13] Mixed-race Koreans have asked the media to refrain from using 'Kosian'.[14] Moreover, the Korean office of Amnesty International has claimed that the word "Kosian" represents racial discrimination.[15]

Although such children currently make up only 0.5% of children born in South Korea, some projections suggest that this will grow to 30% by 2020. This trend is partly due to the low birthrate in South Korea, and partly to rising rates of international marriage.

According to Pearl S. Buck International, there are approximately 30,000 mixed-race children in South Korea.[16] Mixed-race children often face discrimination.[17]