S. Korea to train foreign-born women in farming

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to train 10,000 foreign-born wives of
Korean men living in rural communities to become expert farmers so they can help
revive the country's agricultural sector, the government said Tuesday.
The farm ministry said it wants to procure 29.5 billion won (US$25.4 million) in
the next 10 years to set up a personnel database and create a systematic training
program tailor-made to meet the requirements of women who want to become
dedicated farmers.
"The number represents a third of the estimated 30,000 foreign-born women living
in farming communities," said Kim Il-sang, a official at the ministry's farming
policy division said.
A growing number of South Korean men living in rural areas have sought brides in
China and Southeast Asia, as more women here head for urban centers. This has
created new challenges for a society that has typically prided itself on notions
of "pure" origins.
The government and farm cooperatives will give priority to the use of farm
equipment to foreign-born women who want to become farmers, Kim said. The
2010-2020 plan is also aimed at creating new jobs and raising productivity in a
sector that has been hurt by the steady drop people living in the countryside.
"The plan could receive additional support from regional governments down the
road, and can assist in the assimilation of children born into multi-cultural
families," the official said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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