Hang Nga, Marriage Broker

For Valentines Day, WORKING goes deep into the world of love and marriage. Well, marriage, anyway. Hang Nga is a Vietnamese woman who works for a South Korean marriage agency. She and her Korean boss, Mr. Cho, organize three-day excursions for Korean men seeking Vietnamese brides. And they deliver. The marriage packages include everything from introduction and selection to rings, ceremony, cake, photos, and a half-day honeymoon on Ha Long Bay. There’s even a visit to meet the parents. Kelly McEvers went along, and found that for the happy couple, it’s not about romance. It’s about the numbers.

The profile of Hang Nga airs Thursday, February 12, on Marketplace. To see photos, hear audio, and learn more about all 24 of the WORKING profiles that have aired to date, visit the special WORKING section on Marketplace.org. Or check out the interactive Worker Browser where you can do all that and add your own voice to the mix.

Jon

P.S. I’m writing this from Nairobi, Kenya, where I’ll be based until mid-June. If you’re in the area, drop me a line!