Ministry of Justice International Marriage Guide: 'Philippine Appearance Complex,' 'Vietnamese Excuses'... 'Korean Anger'

Source: Jin-ae Kim, Member of the Open Democratic Party

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] 'Filipinos have complexes about their appearance'

'(Vietnamese) tend to make various excuses rather than admit mistakes or apologize'

This is part of the content from the Ministry of Justice's "International Marriage Guidance Program" standard textbook, conveyed on the 13th by Kim Jin-ae, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the Open Democratic Party. Rep. Kim stated, "In the country-specific textbooks explaining Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines, many expressions reinforce negative stereotypes about those countries."

Examples include: "Vietnamese people have a strong tendency not to admit their mistakes until the end because they value maintaining face and honor," "Filipinos do not try to keep promises on time," "They remain calm after causing car accidents or are habitually late and grin even when scolded," and "They have complexes about their appearance." Expressions such as "Cambodians have a habit of sudden mood changes" were also cited as problematic.

There is also a passage stating, "Koreans have a quick temper and get angry if things do not improve after one or two talks, but yelling or oppressing Vietnamese people can actually worsen the situation."

The textbook was published last year by the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters and is specified as the "Standard Textbook - Culture Edition" that citizens hoping for international marriage have completed. It is operated as a 4-hour course at Immigration Integration Support Centers within 15 immigration offices nationwide, and (in cases of international marriage through brokerage agencies) Korean spouses of nationals from Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines are required to complete it.

Rep. Kim said, "While visa issuance procedures and food culture are relatively well explained and some parts are described positively, the very act of explaining a country's 'national character' in just a few lines is itself prejudiced," adding, "Would it be acceptable if other countries described our country like this?" She continued, "The outdated human rights sensitivity of the textbook published in 2019 is astonishing," emphasizing, "A substantial and professional approach that respects and understands the other culture is necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.