A group of eight runners from the Republic of Korea (RoK) began a marathon in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on Jan. 6 to raise funds to help foreign workers and brides, including Vietnamese brides, in the RoK.

From Jan. 6-8, they will run 200km in Thai Nguyen and then cover another 300km in the central province of Thanh Hoa .

Head representative of the RoK organisation that organises these charitable activities, Monk Jin O of Dae Dun pagoda operates social centres in the RoK to help multicultural families and foreign teenagers. He himself took part in a 108km running event in April, 2011 and a 308km event in September, 2011./.