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SEOUL, Jun. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — About four out of 10 female marriage immigrants in South Korea have experienced domestic violence, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The report, compiled by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on the basis of a poll of 920 foreign women married to Korean men, also found that about 70 percent of them have experience of being sexually abused.
In addition, the proportion of immigrants who were verbally or psychologically abused exceeded 80 percent, the commission said.
The survey was conducted between July and August last year. Women from Vietnam accounted for 42.4 percent of the surveyed, followed by China with 29.4 percent, the Philippines with 11.4 percent, Japan with 6.5 percent and Cambodia with 3.6 percent. They have lived in South Korea for an average of 16.37 years. Over 70 percent of the respondents didn’t have an occupation, while 60 percent didn’t have their own income.
According to the report, 387 respondents, or 42.1 percent, said they have suffered domestic violence. Of them, 147 people were threatened with violence at home, while 77 others were threatened with a deadly weapon.
A total of 263 female marriage immigrants, or 68 percent, said they experienced sexual abuse, including being forced to have sex or feeling sexual humiliation, the report showed.
It found 81.1 percent, or 314 people, endured psychological or verbal abuse at home, including listening to profanity. As many as 33.3 percent said they were not given living expenses or pocket money.
The report said 140 of the victims of domestic violence didn’t ask for outside help for various reasons, including fears of being ashamed (35 people), inability to find proper helpers (29 people) and assumption of little effects from outside help (29 people).
Approximately 30 percent of the respondents said they were not aware of various state support programs for abused foreign marriage immigrants.
(Yonhap)
