South Korea
Marital status discrimination
In South Korea, according to a 2018 NGO report, legally a child born out of wedlock between a Korean father and non-citizen mother can acquire Korean citizenship by making a report to the Minister of Justice if recognized by the father. However, in practice, immigration offices have demanded passports issued for the child by the government of the country of origin of the mother. In 2019 CERD recommended that South Korea eliminate barriers to Korean citizenship for children born out of wedlock to a Korean father and a foreign mother.
Promising Practices and Updates
In 2024, South Korea responded in the affirmative to CERD's 2019 recommendation. Going forward, if a child born out of wedlock between a Korean father and a foreign mother wishes to acquire Korean nationality, the government plans to actively grant opportunities to obtain nationality and provide necessary support to establish early status relationships.
