FAMILIES SAY THEY RECEIVED CONFLICTING ADVICE
Other parents said they had also sought official advice, only to receive information that appeared to contradict the rule.
One father in Ansan shared with CNA a recording of a call to the Immigration Contact Center, in which he had asked about his child’s dual nationality.
“I heard that if my child was born in Korea, but I register the birth at the Russian Embassy, it could strip them of their Korean nationality,” he asked in the call.
“No. From birth, the child is a dual national,” the official replied.
When asked whether his son could keep both nationalities, the official said: “Yes, that’s right.”
But the father said he received a very different answer when he later contacted the Justice Ministry’s Nationality Division.
“That’s when they finally explained it to me clearly. They told me that under Article 15 of the Nationality Act, if you acquire another country’s nationality, Korean nationality is lost from that moment.”
The Justice Ministry said it provides guidance through the Immigration Contact Center and regularly trains officials.