Homeless men paid for sham marriages

A marriage broker surnamed Yoo, 40, and three others were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of luring homeless Korean men into sham marriages with Vietnamese women, according to the Special Immigration Investigation Force of the Seoul Immigration Office.

Beginning in May 2008, Yoo and the other brokers allegedly targeted homeless men around Yeongdeungpo and Seoul Stations. They promised the men free trips abroad to Vietnam and between 2 and 3 million won ($1,960 to $2,535) each if they agreed to sham marriages with Vietnamese women, investigators said.

The women from Vietnam were seeking Korean husbands in order to obtain visas that would allow them to work in Korea, and each paid the marriage brokers between $18,000 and $20,000, according to the investigators. After receiving marriage visas and coming to Korea, the women would immediately seek employment, often in the manufacturing industry.

Among the Korean men who agreed to the marriage scam, most were unemployed and did not have proper addresses, usually because they were homeless or living in small one-room studios.

The investigation force is questioning 50 Korean men and Vietnamese women in relation to the scam, and 20 women who have already been questioned have been deported to Vietnam.

Though there have been incidents of brokers arranging marriage scams before, it is rare for the homeless to take part in sham marriages, investigators said. They said they will thoroughly crack down on the issue because it could become a societal concern.

By Sarah Kim [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [뉴시스]

300만원 받고 위장결혼에 가담한 노숙인

서울출입국관리사무소 이민특수조사대 베트남여성들로부터 돈을 받고 노숙자들과 위장결혼을 알선한 브로커 유모(40)씨 등 3명을 공전자기록 등 불실기재 등 혐의로 구속했다고 12일 밝혔다.

유씨 등은 지난 2008년 5월부터 지난해까지 서울역과 영등포역 등에서 노숙인들에게 "베트남 여행을 하고 돈도 벌 수 있다"며 유인해 위장결혼을 알선하고 베트남 여성들로부터 1인당 1만8000~2만2000달러를 받은 혐의를 받고 있다.

조사대 조사결과 베트남 여성들은 현지에서 한국 노숙인과 혼인한 뒤 결혼 비자를 받고 국내로 입국해 제조업체 등에 취업한 것으로 드러났다.

노숙자 등 한국인 남성들은 브로커로부터 위장 결혼 대가로 베트남 무료여행을 가 현금 200만~300만원을 받았다고 조사대는 전했다.

조사대는 위장결혼을 한 노숙인과 베트남 여성 등 50여명도 입건해 조사 중이다. 조사가 끝난 베트남 여성 20명은 강제추방 됐다.

한편 조사대는 이와 유사한 사건에 대해 수사를 확대할 예정이다.