Immigration To South Korea - Recent History

Recent History

After the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Korea opened its borders to general public and resulted in increased exchanges with foreign countries. The UN declared Korea as an official receiving country in 2007. The number of foreigners in South Korea grew from 0.39 million (1997) to 1 million (2007) in 10 years. Among these are 0.63 million temporary laborers, as well as 0.10 million foreigners married to South Korean nationals. Furthermore, there are 0.23 million illegal immigrants. The main sending countries are mostly Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Mongolia, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh; however, other migrants also come from Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, and the United States for various purposes.

From June 14, 1998 those who have at least one Korean parent are automatically granted Korean nationality from birth, regardless of their decisions on whether to choose the nationality of the foreign parent or the country of birth (if born outside Korea). Requirements for General Naturalization are as follows:

• Must have had domicile address in R.O.K. for more than 5 consecutive years.
• Must be legally adult according to Korean Civil Law.
• Must have good conduct.
• Must have the ability to maintain living on his/her own assets or skills; or is a dependent member of a family capable of the feat. Applicants must have basic knowledge befitting a Korean national; such as understanding of the Korean language, customs and culture.

The South Korean Government says it wants to create a multicultural society and foreigner-friendly living environment.