The Hague Abduction Convention and its implications for multicultural families in Korea

Abstract

Based on the 2010 case of a Vietnamese marriage migrant woman who was accused of abducting her child, this paper explores the implementation of The Hague Convention to which South Korea is a state party. The case highlights the role of women in the care of children and how international law treats family care in the raising of children. This paper concludes that Korea should take legislative and administrative measures to tackle the problem of international child abduction. It also highlights the need to work with the home countries of the foreign spouses of Korean nationals to resolve international child abduction cases. Furthermore, it maintains that The Hague Convention needs to reflect on the reproductive rights of women and how such rights can be duly considered in the Convention.