Jeonju Court denies divorce appeal of Korean man from his Vietnamese wife

Written by dvm Wednesday, 18 August 2010 09:51

A husband and wife union should always look after each other even in times of trouble and misunderstanding, a court ruled Friday, rejecting a divorce petition filed by a Korean husband to sever the ties with his younger Vietnamese wife. According to the Jeonju District Court, a 45-year-old complainant married the 25-year-old from Vietnam in June last year. However, trouble often marred the union. In March, the wife was scolded by her father-in-law for resting her chin in her hands and staring at him while he ate. He said she misbehaved and told her to “get out of the house.” Resting your chin in your hands is considered rude in Korea. She followed the order by leaving the house with all the jewelry and gifts she had received from her husband and his family at the wedding. Instead of looking for the runaway wife, the man filed for divorce. According to the husband, the wife didn’t try hard enough to get along with the family, and was only interested in “making money and hanging around with fellow Vietnamese nationals.” In its infinite wisdom, however, the court dismissed the husband’s divorce petition, saying the husband should be more understanding of his wife and give her more time. If he can find her, that is — apparently, nobody knows where she is. [Republished in its entirety courtesy of The Marmot's Hole.]