The renunciation of Korean citizenship application to decrease

The renunciation of Korean citizenship among Korean Americans decreases for the first time in the past three years.

According to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, 155 cases of renunciation applications have been filed from January 1st to end of March this year. This number is decrease of 6 compared to the same time last year, when 161 applications have been filed and first decrease in application since 2013.

Annual renunciation application totaled 99 reports in 2013 and increased to 133 in 2014 and 161 last year as applicants tried to comply with the South Korea’s compulsory military duty service requirement laws. Although there has been a confusion due to the change in eligibility, it is meaningful that the number has decreased.

‘The reason why the number of renunciation has decreased is that the parents of naturalized dual citizens already finished the process of renunciation report beforehand.

The Korean Consulate said, the decrease in renunciation report could be explained in various ways but it could be seen as more parents who would like to have report filed earlier than later.

2nd generation Korean Americans can renunciate their Korean citizenship after the birth. On the other hand, eligible citizens who can renunciate the Korean citizenship next year are the ones that were born from January 1st, 1999 to December 31st. If one was born under a parent who is a Korean citizen, he or she is granted a Korean citizenship automatically even though they were borned in the United States.

 <Cheol Soo Kim·Korea Times Staff Writer>