Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Immediately after learning about the beating of a Vietnamese woman by her Korean husband, the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) contacted local agencies to request investigation and strict handling of the case in line with RoK law, thus preventing the occurrence of similar violence.

The information was released by spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Lê Thị Thu Hằng in response to reporters’ queries regarding Viet Nam’s moves to protect the Vietnamese citizen in Hà Nội on Tuesday. 

According to the spokesperson, the embassy had contacted the victim and sent representatives to visit her. Hằng added that the embassy remained ready to take necessary protection measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese woman, who is now under treatment at a hospital with tight security. 

The spokesperson said the MoFA had held a working session with the RoK Embassy in Việt Nam to express Việt Nam’s concern over the case, adding that the RoK side noted regret for the incident and pledged to pay special attention to it. 

Hằng said the number of marriages between Vietnamese and Koreans had increased over recent years. Most couples have a stable life, but conflicts happen in some families for different reasons. 

She went on to say that to protect the rights and interests as well as happiness of Vietnamese-Korean families, Vietnamese officials at all levels had discussed these matters with the RoK side.

The MoFA has taken many citizen protection measures, including asking competent agencies and social organisations of the RoK to teach Korean language and culture, provide vocational training and create jobs for Vietnamese citizens married to Koreans. 

It has established a co-operation mechanism with the RoK Migrant Women’s Emergency Support Centre to exchange information and swiftly address emergency cases relating to Vietnamese brides in the country, while closely coordinating with the RoK Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Gender Equality and Family to deal with incidents involving Vietnamese citizens married to Koreans. 

The ministry has regularly brought the issue up during annual consular consultation meetings between Việt Nam and the RoK, and asked the RoK side to tighten coordination and take measures and policies to ensure stable and happy mixed-nationality families, according to the spokesperson.

The case of violence made headlines in both countries over the weekend, after a video went viral of a 36-year-old Korean man punching and kicking his Vietnamese wife in the presence of their two-year-old son. The violence left the woman with a broken rib and other injuries that require four weeks of treatment.

The man, a resident of Yeongam, South Jeolla province, about 390km south of Seoul, reportedly beat his wife for three hours on July 4 for not speaking Korean well before he was put under emergency detention. He has been arrested and detained for eight days for investigation. — VNS