Korea Likely to Permit Dual Citizenship

By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

The government plans to permit dual citizenship to Koreans who have acquired another nationality, as well as foreigners who have married a Korean or lived here for five years, a senior Justice Ministry official said.

Korea has scrapped its original plan to offer dual citizenship only to Korean adoptees and foreigners with outstanding talents, said Cha Gyu-geun, head of the ministry's Nationality and Refugee Division.

The ministry has nearly completed the new bill which would overhaul the Naturalization Law, Cha said.

The proposed legislation will be publicly announced in two weeks and will likely be voted on in February at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly, according to Cha.

Both ruling and opposition parties do not deny on the need of passing the revision as it would not only protect the rights of minorities, but also attract talents and woo new voters.

Currently, Korea does not permit multiple nationalities for either its citizens or foreigners.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
source:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/116_54583.html