South Koreans who have foreign migrants and naturalized citizens as their family members will be encouraged to help them receive necessary education, including job training and language courses, according to a proposed legal revision.

A revised bill which advises Koreans not to interfere with their migrant family members’ pursuit of education was approved at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, the Ministry of Gender Equality announced Wednesday.

The new bill, which is scheduled to take effect early next year, is merely advisory, and following the advice is not mandatory.

“We decided to take a subtle approach to educate, rather than force the families into this,” said Jung Cho-won from the ministry.

In the past, many migrant wives did not get Korean education, such as Korean language classes and job training, because their Korean families, including their husbands, were against the idea, according to the ministry.

The reasons thought to be behind the families’ objections include expecting the women to dedicate themselves to child care and domestic affairs full time, as well as fear of losing them as they “may run away from home,” Jung said.

According to a report released by the Korean Women’s Development Institute, however, migrant wives who attended school in South Korea and those who have formed relationships outside the community of their countries of origin had a higher chance of actively engaging in Korean society.

“It is necessary to increase the amount of support for migrant wives’ education,” authors Lee Ah-reum and Kim Yi-seon wrote in the report.

“It gives them an edge (and more opportunities) in the local job market and lets them form social relationships with a variety of people. It gives them problem-solving skills as well as language proficiency. This ultimately has a positive influence on the migrant wives themselves, as well as their Korean family members.”

As of 2012, 46.2 percent of marriage migrants and naturalized citizens here received local education that helped them adjust to life in South Korea.

Among them, 27 percent attended Korean language and Korean studies classes, while 20 percent received similar education at home. 10.3 percent received help with their pregnancy and child care, while 7.1 percent managed to get help with their job search.

However, only 15.2 percent of migrant wives’ Korean husbands attended education programs designed for both the migrants and their Korean spouses, according to the ministry.

According to the KWDI report, only 26.5 percent of migrant wives here attended social or community gatherings held by South Koreans in 2012. The rest only spend time with migrants from the same country of origin, except their Korean husbands and in-laws.

Only 4.7 percent of employed migrant wives made more than 2 million won ($1,903) a month, while 50.2 percent received a monthly salary that is less than 1 million won ($951.75).

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)