The reactions I’ve had over the years to the fact that I’m married to a South Korean man have included, “Whoa… how do you cope with your mother-in-law?” “You must cook Korean food then,” “You are a brave woman,” and on one occasion, “How can I get one?” We foreign women married to South Korean men are a distinct minority and we are often seen by Koreans as slightly crazy for having taken on a life-long challenge, or met with nervous resistance from skeptical in-laws.

Given the power that ethnic and cultural homogeneity still has in South Korean society, it is easy