Foreigners who married Koreans take part in “Immigration With You,” an event organized by the Seoul Immigration Bureau to help foreign spouses organize networks to share information, at Yongdungpo ward office, Seoul, Wednesday. /Korea Times Photo by Hong In-kee

Reacting to the growing number of foreign spouses in Korea, the ministry is preparing measures to help them learn more about Korea and become members of the community.

According to a recent ministry survey, 86,499 foreigners were living here as of July after marrying Koreans.

Among them, 52,299 people, or 60 percent, were Chinese. The second-largest group was Vietnamese, with 12,080 or 14 percent, followed by Japanese, with 6,921 or 8 percent. Those from the three nations accounted for 82 percent of the total.

Filipino husbands or wives took up 5 percent with 4,143 people, while Thais accounted for 2 percent with 1,527, Mongolians 2 percent with 1,475, and Americans 1 percent with 1,279 people.

Many of the Chinese spouses are ethnic Korean-Chinese.

The growth in the number of foreign wives from Southeast Asian countries is attributed to marriages to Korean men in rural farming regions, as few Korean women are willing to settle in agricultural and fisheries areas.

As more and more foreigners reside here following international marriages, the ministry has decided to help them form networks by nationalities and settle down as members of Korean society.

In the networks, foreign spouses will be able to share information needed to adapt themselves to the country, relieving uneasiness that can arise in international marriages. They will also be encouraged to hold regular gatherings.

The government will also seek cooperation with local authorities, public facilities and civic groups to develop practical programs that will provide counseling and education about Korean culture to the foreigners.

Immigration offices will also open counseling centers for foreigners. For those having difficulty in getting legal aid due to communication problems, the authorities will provide interpretation services with volunteers who are fluent in the language the foreigners speak.

``These measures are expected to offer a comprehensive service for foreign spouses here, including education, information on living, legal help and counseling. We expect the programs will minimize domestic disputes arising from different cultures and embrace the foreign spouses,'' a ministry official said.

As part of organizing the networks, the Seoul Immigration Bureau yesterday held an event titled ``Immigration With You'' at the Yongdungpo ward office, western Seoul, with foreign spouses and their families in the region participating.

Information about immigration, Korean language lectures and medical services were presented to them, and participants selected representatives of six nations.