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Lonely hearts pay a packet to meet Ukranian brides

As the number of foreign brides in Taiwan rises, an increasing number of men are now hoping to find their true love in Ukraine, and are prepared to fork out NT$750,000 for the opportunity, local media reported yesterday.

According to Angus, a foreign marriage agency in Taipei City, more than 1,000 men have registered at the agency's matchmaking program hoping to find a Ukrainian bride.

In the past, men have tended to marry women from China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. However, in recent times more and more bachelors have switched their attention to Ukraine.

Agency owner Su Yao-wei (蘇耀威) said yesterday that one of his customers had already found a bride in Ukraine last month.

According to Su, the 42-year-old Taiwanese man, who holds a master's degree, is a manager at a local environmental protection and biotechnology company. The man flew to Ukraine twice to meet some of the women there, and decided to marry one of them, who is still a college student.

The two registered their marriage in Ukraine on Oct. 20, and are scheduled to move back to Taiwan for good in January.

"Many women currently in their 30s are very picky about men. It's difficult for middle-aged men to find their perfect brides here," Su said yesterday.

Interested men pay NT$50,000 to the company to be put in touch with Ukrainian women registered with the program. They then pay NT$500,000 if they elect to meet the women in Ukraine.

Finally, they must pay NT$200,000 as a "marriage fee" if they want to marry one of the women they meet. The total cost for the complete program is NT$750,000.

Su said that many men seek women who are fluent in foreign languages and who have a tertiary degree.

Su predicted that foreign marriages between local men and eastern European women will become more popular in future.
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