• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-56
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• 2006

This study attempts to review the increasing trend in international marriage of Koreans since 1990 and explore the pattern of socio-demographic characteristics of the married couples. This paper develops a conceptual scheme for changing pattern of nuptiality including an increase in international marriage. As the key forces behind the recent increase in international marriage of Koreans, the effects of rapid decline in fertility, rise in sex ratio at birth, urbanward migration of young women, expansion of gender-equity norms, and globalization are stressed. Micro-data from the marriage registration for the period $1990{\sim}2004$ and the divorce registration for the period $2000{\sim}2004$ are utilized. This study focuses on analyzing age at marriage, previous marital experience, education, occupation, and residence of the married couples. Attention is also focused on demographic characteristics of the divorced couples. Results of analyses reveal that there exists a great deal of diversity in international marriage of Koreans. A notable aspect is the profound differences between Korean men and women in the characteristics of their foreign spouses and themselves as well. Another prominent factor emphasized in the analysis is the nationality of foreign spouse. It is indicated that the stereotype of international marriage facilitated by marriage squeeze can be mainly applied to marriages between Korean men and foreign wives from China, southeast Asian countries and the CIS of the old Soviet Union. On the other hand, direct effects of value transformation and globalization are emphasized in the explanation of marriages between Korean men and foreign wives from more developed countries as well as marriages between Korean women and foreign husbands.