Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thebomb]

This is aimed at all the guys out there that have a Korean wife.

Did your better half adopt your surname upon marriage, or did she stay the Korean way and maintain her fathers' name?

[CentralCali]

I'd venture that how that is answered depends on when the marriage occurred and what the situation is for requiring knowledge of the surname. Back in the 1970s, although the wife maintained her own surname for most purposes. However, if she got a passport it would have her personal name followed by her husband's surname and finally the word nee followed by her original surname.

[thebomb]

I would like my future wife to take my name, but i'm just interested what has been done regarding korean wives and their foreign husbands.

To try to get a sense of whether it's possible and any reactions from her family, esp. the father.

[mole]

Use her given name, followed by maiden initial, followed by your family name.
At least in your country and introducing yourselves. Unless she changes citizenship,
I assume she'd continue using her Korean name there.

[Scott in Incheon]

My wife kept her name. I am not sure, but I don't think there is a process in Korea to change your name.

She has talked about changing her name once we move back to Canada, but we have no firm plans. I don't care really.

[robot]

my wife said she wants to keep her surname.

not only that, but she wants me to change mine to hers... she's a powerful one.

that could be cool though. taking some liberties with the spelling, my name would be "rob you".

[The Bobster]

She kept her name intact, but so did my first wife in America, as is increasing common, of course. It's the custom here, though, always been, as I understand it.

One advantage she had by marrying a foreigner, though, is that she can continue to attend family holidays at her mother's house, while her sister has to spend Chuseok and Sollal with her husband's family, working and making food with a lot of women who don't really consider her a blood relative. Good for me, too, cuz my MIL's food rocks the house.

Not why she married me, of course. Mainly, she just sort of thinks my ass is cute.

[excitinghead]

My wife kept her name, back in 2004. It was never an issue: I never really wanted her to take my name, and as far as I know Korean woman always keep their maiden names. Actually I don't think we even discussed it.

Our first child has an English first name, my wife's family name as a middle name, and my surname. As will our next child, and any others. If anyone's interested in why we chose to do that, see my post on my blog here:

http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/2007/07/03/the-korean-education-system-and-its-consequences-for-adults-intro-part-1/

Shameless plug for the blog I know, but once you see how long that post is you'll forgive me for not typing it out all again here!