  ''Do I have to look at them and decide now?'' Mr. Kim asked,
as the marriage brokers gave a brief description of each of the
women sitting around a U-shaped sofa.    The rising status of
women in the United States sent American men who were searching
for more traditional wives to Russia in the 1990s. But the
United States' more balanced population has not led to the
shortage of potential brides and the thriving international
marriage industry found in South Korea.     After an initial
setback -- his first three choices found various reasons to
decline his offer -- Mr. Kim narrowed his field to a 22-year-old
college student and an 18-year-old high school graduate.
''What's your personality like?'' Mr. Kim asked the college
student.  ''I'm an extrovert,'' she said.   ''I have two
colleagues who married Vietnamese women,'' he said, adding,
''The women seem devoted and family-oriented.''   ''Well, since
I'm quiet, I'll choose the extrovert,'' Mr. Kim said finally,
adding quickly, ''Is it O.K. if I hold her han