SEOUL (Reuters) - A rural province in South Korea plans to give financial aid to help lonely male farmers pay for mail-order brides from overseas.

South Kyongsang province plans to start a trial programme in which it will give 6 million won (3,500 pounds) to male farmers who marry foreign women, an official said on Tuesday.

South Korean farmers have been turning to brides from other parts of Asia in recent years after struggling to woo local women, who are often less than enthralled with the prospect of rural life.

The province also plans to increase courses for foreign brides to help them adjust to life in South Korea.