As many as 19 families of Vietnamese brides in the Republic of Korea (RoK) began their eight-day trips to the homeland on December 5 with the sponsorship of Seoul-based Nonghyup Bank.

In addition to the free-of-charge trips, each family also received 500 USD in cash.

This is the 7 th time Nonghyup Bank has supported homeland visits by Vietnamese brides and their Korean families, raising the total number of the beneficiaries to over 1,300.

Chief Representative of the Nonghyup Bank Office in Hanoi Lee Woo Sik said there are about 35,000 Vietnamese brides in the RoK with many of them desiring to visit the homeland.

Truong Thi Kim Loan, 28, born in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu , who got married to a RoK man four years ago, said she feels very happy to visit her native land for the second time.

She added that during the first days in the RoK, she faced a lot of difficulties, including language difference that hindered her to access the local culture and customs.

Thanks to the support of the Women’s Union in the RoK, Vietnamese brides like Loan have received Korean language and vocational training as well as met each other to share experience each month, thus gradually integrating into the new life, she said.-VNA