After the rise in the popularity of K-Dramas worldwide, netizens have been gushing over the relationships portrayed. Yet, more and more Korean and international women are sharing their experiences with Korean men, which showcases the opposite of that “fairytale” ending.
Recently, an American woman called Courtney with a YouTube page called “Courtney the Enthusiast” deleted all her videos and started posting new videos about her situation.
In the first video, she titled it, “Son kidnapped and withheld by MIL and husband in South Korea.”
She explained that she was currently living in South Korea and was posting for some help because she hadn’t seen her son in over two months. While she still has custody of her two daughters, her son was taken by her mother-in-law when he was only a few months old in front of the police. Although she requested to get him back, they said due to 50/50 custody in marriage, if the other party says it’s okay, they can’t do much to go against it.
Courtney added that she was abused by her husband for 6 months and had evidence of this, even having hospital visits before her son was born due to the abuse.
She heartbreakingly revealed that while people said they would help with her problems when it came to issues with women and abuse, most of the time, they don’t get help, it isn’t taken seriously or even turned on the woman.
There was a false report made against Courtney and she added that there was no English translator provided to help her understand the situation, which she realized it was illegal.
Courtney showed off some of the injuries sustained from her husband’s abuse.
She recalled what had happened with her husband and mother-in-law at the station. After going to report what had happened, her abusive husband was called. When he arrived with his mother, she ran out with the song. When she returned home, she saw that her son’s clothes and baby things gone.
After everything, she was also evicted from her house but while it was heartbreaking as she is undergoing a divorce, she just wants to see her son.
In other videos, she kept people updated and wants to bring awareness to her own situation but also one that impacts so many women in Korea. Netizens shared their own stories and sympathies towards Courtney, criticizing the system against women and especially foreigners.
Her most recent video showed text messages from her husband, with some in Korean and many in English. The English texts were extremely threatening and showcased many instances of her husband making threats towards her over things and, later on, discussing the case with malice.
The comments on the videos are full of netizens sharing their hope that Courtney’s story will gain attention to help her get her son back. It also shows the hardships foreign women suffer in Korea when it comes to issues of family and marriage.
Source: Nate Pann and courtneytheenthusiast
