Young Korean Americans renouncing Korean nationality has increased by 22%

The number of Koreans who have renounced their Korean nationality has surged in recent years, according to a new report.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles reported on January 9 that the number of second-generation Korean Americans who renounced their Korean citizenship in 2023 was approximately 1,100, marking a 22% increase from 900 the previous year. In the New York Consulate General, 798 denationalizations were reported, a 25% increase from 641 the previous year.

Many are opting for denationalization in anticipation of future employment with federal agencies requiring the handling of classified information.

“We have been publicizing the denationalization program for a while now, and it seems that the individuals and their families are not willing to miss the deadline,” said a consulate official in Los Angeles.

Under the Korean Nationality Act, individuals born in the United States to Korean citizen parents automatically gain dual citizenship. Men must file a denationalization notification with the overseas diplomatic agencies by March 31 of the year they turn 18 to renounce their Korean citizenship and be exempt from Korean military service.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of reports of loss of citizenship through such reasons as acquired citizenship for immigration and others.

In 2023, the Los Angeles Korean Consulate General processed 3,800 denationalization reports, reflecting a rising trend from previous years. This is up from 3,200 in 2022 and 2,600 in 2021. At the New York Consulate General, the number of denationalization reports was 2,007 in 2023, up from 1,716 in 2022.

Korean Nationality Act states that when a Korean citizen acquires a foreign nationality, the Korean nationality is automatically lost from the time of acquisition. However, the person must report the loss of citizenship at a diplomatic mission abroad or in Korea.

A second-generation Korean-American man born in 2006 has until March 31 to apply for denationalization. Missing the deadline will make it difficult to withdraw nationality and therefore difficult to get exempted from military service.

Denationalization is a process in which a dual citizen who has acquired both Korean and foreign nationality by birth declares to the Justice Minister that he or she intends to choose a foreign nationality.

Filing for denationalization requires an in-person visit to an overseas Korean diplomatic mission. A legal representative is required for those under the age of 15. The Los Angeles Consulate General has jurisdiction over Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Those who are born with multiple nationalities and have not registered their birth must first register their birth. Then, they can apply for denationalization after being registered in the Certificate of Family Relations.

Detailed information about the denationalization process and required documents can be found on the Los Angeles Consulate General’s website.

BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, HOONSIK WOO    [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]