Last July 19, it was reported that the founder of the Unification Church, Moon Sun Myung has been injured in a helicopter crash in Gapyeong. I didn’t really know before who he is until my husband told me. The Unification Church is more popularly known as the “Moonies.” I was then reminded of how controversial this group is.

The “Moonies” is known in the Philippines for its “mass marriages”. If you recall in the early 1990s, thousands of Filipinos and Koreans were married in these ceremonies. I remember watching an episode of Noli De Castro’s Magandang Gabi Bayan detailing this event. What’s controversial about the said marriages is the fact that the couples were “arranged” to be married.

I know four Filipinas here who got married through such an arrangement. Three of them have been married for more than seven years now while the other for almost a decade. Two of them would admit to having married their husbands through the Unification Church (the other two would not even talk about it). AFAIK, the arranged marriages is one of the reasons that the Philippine government requires all Filipino citizens marrying foreigners to attend a guidance and counseling service by the CFO (Commission on Filipino Overseas).

We sometimes hear of women being abused by their Korean husbands. Luckily, all four of the Filipinas I know who married the “Moonies” way have told me that their husbands “love” them despite the fact that they didn’t know each other when they got married. However, one of them has a friend who has been married for years and has been suffering from physical abuse from her husband.

Financial difficulty is one of the primary reasons that motivated them to this kind of marriage. However, it should be known that not all Koreans are rich. I once met a girl here who taught that the man she married has money. Turned out he’s a taxi driver living with his parents. The girl said she accepted the offer to an arranged marriage as she got tired of waiting for an opportunity to work in Japan as an entertainer. I’m not sure if she really got divorced like she wanted since we lost communication.

I don’t know enough Filipinas who had an arranged marriage for me to conclude whether this type of marriage mostly end in failure. I only know four and so far their marriage life is fine. Those thinking of marrying this way should know that life in Korea is not a bed of roses. Being a Korean wife means duties. Duty to your husband, children and HIS family.