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allbyb
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject: Becoming a citizen-pros and cons |
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Have any of you who are married to Koreans become/thought of becoming a Korean citizen?
What would the pros and cons be? |
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JacktheCat
Joined: 08 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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As I understand it, it is possible for a waegukin to become a Korean citizen, but very very very hard.
Have to pass some ridiculously hard Korean language and cultural tests; tests that 99% of Koreans couldn't pass.
The obvious con is of course that you would become eligible to be drafted into the Korean army. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Why? Would...anyone want to.....do such a thing! Not that being a korean is bad. But....you will ALWAYS be a foreigner.
Korean society is not egalitarian: a person's status is strictly defined in relation to others. How do foreigners fit into this scheme? Even foreigners who become korean citizens? The simple answer is they don't.
Sure...you'd have more rights. But....unless you are coming from a country that is third world or not as advanced as korea....what would you gain? Or lose?
I don't see very many foreigners from Canada, Australia, European Countries, the U.S., or elsewhere beating down the doors to become korean. I think you can count on one hand how many foreigners have changed citizenship to korean in the last 5 years. If that.
In my opinion...a foreigner would always be an outsider. Always. |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| JacktheCat wrote: |
The obvious con is of course that you would become eligible to be drafted into the Korean army. |
foriegners that become citizens are not applicable to being drafted.
but why would you want to give up citizen to ur own country... just apply for residency |
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J.B. Clamence
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Another con is you'd have to adopt a Korean name as your official name (1 syllable family name, followed by a given name made up of 1-3 syllables). From what I understand, every Korean citizen has to have a name that fits the Korean name structure. I remember that Polish soccer player had to do this when he became a citizen. He was playing for Incheon, so he named himself In-cheon. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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| J.B. Clamence wrote: |
| Another con is you'd have to adopt a Korean name as your official name (1 syllable family name, followed by a given name made up of 1-3 syllables). From what I understand, every Korean citizen has to have a name that fits the Korean name structure. I remember that Polish soccer player had to do this when he became a citizen. He was playing for Incheon, so he named himself In-cheon. |
Which only proves more so���� just how backward korean thinking is....you must choose a one syllable name!?!?!? How, how��how��trying to find a better word for stupid���� is this requirement!?!?!?
However��it is NOT written in stone. My K-GF gave birth to our son a few years back��and the powers to be TOLD me��you must choose a Korean name. Wrong answer I said��don��t tell me what to do or what to name my child. And we did NOT pick any Korean name.
I don��t know of any country where parents can��t name their children what they want��within reason. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| hellofaniceguy wrote: |
| I don��t know of any country where parents can��t name their children what they want��within reason. |
I do believe a handful of Western European nations have an approved list of names.
And, to side track a moment, I think Denmark (or was it the Netherlands?) has not only an official state religion but everyone born in Denmark is officially a member of the state Lutheran church. One has to actively remove one self from the church.
| hellofaniceguy wrote: |
| Why? Would...anyone want to.....do such a thing! |
I would suppose the best argument for taking citizenship is because you plan to live the rest of your life in the nation and you would enjoy voting and enjoying the other legal rights of citizenship. Maybe you want to work for the government or even run for local political office.
I know maybe you can't fathom a person wanting to be a lifer, but to each his own. If I had attained a greencard in the USA I would have certainly applied for US citizenship, simply because I don't like the idea of living some place and not being able to exercise a basic right.
| hellofaniceguy wrote: |
| you will ALWAYS be a foreigner |
Maybe I guess. I'm sure Asian citizens in America feel like they will always be a foreigner there too (blue state America aside). America didn't become egalitarian overnight. People had to fight for it. You know like Dr. King. Heard of him?
I would admire anyone who doesn't cut and run but stays in Korea because they love it and works to make it egalitarian. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:44 am Post subject: |
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| Ally, check out www.iskakorea.com. There is a forum and there is a LOT of information there. Many Filipinas married to Korean men are trying to become citizens. |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:25 am Post subject: |
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| J.B. Clamence wrote: |
| Another con is you'd have to adopt a Korean name as your official name (1 syllable family name, followed by a given name made up of 1-3 syllables). From what I understand, every Korean citizen has to have a name that fits the Korean name structure. I remember that Polish soccer player had to do this when he became a citizen. He was playing for Incheon, so he named himself In-cheon. |
I know of a couple of women that have taken citizenship, but kept their names |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| komtengi wrote: |
| JacktheCat wrote: |
The obvious con is of course that you would become eligible to be drafted into the Korean army. |
foriegners that become citizens are not applicable to being drafted.
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canuckistan, I think the word komtengi is eligible, as compared to applicable.
HTH |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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| hellofaniceguy wrote: |
| I don��t know of any country where parents can��t name their children what they want��within reason. |
In certain parts of the US, Hispanic parents can't give their children a two-word last name. They can hyphenate it, but that is not their tradition. Many, many Hispanic children born in the US end up with their father's last name as their legal middle name and only their mother's family name as their last name. (The rules on this vary by county.) |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| J.B. Clamence wrote: |
| Another con is you'd have to adopt a Korean name as your official name (1 syllable family name, followed by a given name made up of 1-3 syllables). |
That's a con? I've actually considered changing my legal name in the US to incorporate my Korean name. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Actually you are allowed to have 5 syllables in your full name, which is rare, however possible. I was given the reason by the authorities that this law was only enacted in the 80's after some religious types changed their names to impossibly long ones, thus causing chaos and snarling up the system. |
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jaykimf
Joined: 24 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
| Actually you are allowed to have 5 syllables in your full name, which is rare, however possible. I was given the reason by the authorities that this law was only enacted in the 80's after some religious types changed their names to impossibly long ones, thus causing chaos and snarling up the system. |
When we registered our first son's name we ran into a little confusion at first. Korean names can be written with Hangul or Hanja. Any Hangul name might be represented by a variety of different Hanja. Most Koreans register not only their Hangul name but also their Hanja name. The Hanja name has to follow a certain format, there can only be so many syllables. But a Hanja name is not required, if you register only a hangul name, more syllables are allowed. At least that's the way I remember it being explained to us. Our sons have 6 syllable names. My 3 syllable last name followed by a 3 syllable Korean name. My wife's last name, Kim serves as their middle name in English . |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Well my daughter has 9 syllables when rendered into Korean and we didn't have any trouble - that was in February 2002 |
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