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Obtaining Korean Citizenship
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CentralCali



Joined: 17 May 2007

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business. They quickly change their tune once I show them my ID or my wife mentions that they could be sued for discriminating against a Korean citizen. (My wife has grown to be quite intolerant of Korean businesses that play the 'he's a foreigner' routine with us.


If that person kept up with the news, they might not have changed their tune. Remember the naturalized woman who was denied entry to a spa?
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CentralCali wrote:
tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business. They quickly change their tune once I show them my ID or my wife mentions that they could be sued for discriminating against a Korean citizen. (My wife has grown to be quite intolerant of Korean businesses that play the 'he's a foreigner' routine with us.


If that person kept up with the news, they might not have changed their tune. Remember the naturalized woman who was denied entry to a spa?


I remember the story. She could have sued and won her case if she chose to. One particular night club in our area is notorious for not allowing foreigners in, so I had a plan. I went and requested service at the door. They said, 'No foreigners allowed." I showed them my Korean ID, and they said 'No foreigners allowed.' I told them to take a look at the ID. They insisted. I called the police who promptly came. The police looked at my ID then talked to the people. They asked what I wanted them to do. I said, 'Let me go in or else shut this place down right now.' They told the owners what I said, and reluctantly they let me in. I walked in, looked around, and then left. Why the long drawn out situation? Because, I was not going to be discriminated against as a legal Korean citizen. It worked. A similar thing happened with SK Telecom. they jacked me around about phone service until my wife threatened to sue them for discrimination. It happens still too often for people, but as the companies and business finally wake up to the fact that more people are becoming citizens of the country they are less blatant with their discrimination.
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TDC troll



Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: TDC

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am worried about the bank records and credit card records .
You mentioned that all my previous history will be deleted.
What about all of my "good" credit history I've built up so far ?

Have you had any trouble procuring any loans or with anything financially
related
after you'd gotten your Korean citizenship ?

I actually contacted one of our insurance companies yesterday , and the
agent told me that I just needed to send fax her photo copies of my new ID , and that I could continue with the same policies .
If not I'd be losing out on about 10 years of premiums.


Again thank you for your quick responses , there is really no where
to ask these questions .
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Who's Your Daddy?



Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tob55 wrote:
The Education Offices are still treating naturalized citizens as foreigners regarding the requirements for registering, a clear-cut case of discrimination.


tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business..


tob55 wrote:
A similar thing happened with SK Telecom. they jacked me around about phone service until my wife threatened to sue them for discrimination....


I'm amazed you still want to live in this country.
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TDC troll



Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: TDC

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is people just like tob55 , a true pioneer if you will , who are taking all
the crap from companies and gov. agencies now , just so others
don't have to in the future .

Hats off to all the REAL PIONEERS .
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who's Your Daddy? wrote:
tob55 wrote:
The Education Offices are still treating naturalized citizens as foreigners regarding the requirements for registering, a clear-cut case of discrimination.


tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business..


tob55 wrote:
A similar thing happened with SK Telecom. they jacked me around about phone service until my wife threatened to sue them for discrimination....


I'm amazed you still want to live in this country.


The things I mention in my posts are not merely for the sake of complaining, but to let people know the road they are taking when receiving citizenship here is not easy, but it is a lot better than life as a foreign resident. I complain too much at times, but for the most part I really, really enjoy my life here.
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TDC troll wrote:
I am worried about the bank records and credit card records .
You mentioned that all my previous history will be deleted.
What about all of my "good" credit history I've built up so far ?

Have you had any trouble procuring any loans or with anything financially
related
after you'd gotten your Korean citizenship ?

I actually contacted one of our insurance companies yesterday , and the
agent told me that I just needed to send fax her photo copies of my new ID , and that I could continue with the same policies .
If not I'd be losing out on about 10 years of premiums.


Again thank you for your quick responses , there is really no where
to ask these questions .


The only people who might be anal about things will be the phone company and a few banks who insist that they have a different system for foreigners than they do for Korean citizens.

Regarding the loan, I walked into a bank close to where I work and was able to secure a loan in two days for a business purchase. I had no problems getting credit or securing extra credit for my other cards once they realized I was a naturalized Korean citizen. Actually I was treated nice my most people except the people at Nonghyup Bank.

Glad to help you out. It is nothing to help out with information.
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TDC troll wrote:
It is people just like tob55 , a true pioneer if you will , who are taking all
the crap from companies and gov. agencies now , just so others
don't have to in the future .

Hats off to all the REAL PIONEERS .


Not sure I would call myself a pioneer, but I just want to make sure the people following after me are informed about what to expect. I am sure things for us get easier as time goes by, but the same struggles people face for other reasons will exist as long as people think they can get by with discrimination and such. Cheers! Cool
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malaz



Joined: 06 Jan 2013

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:26 pm    Post subject: KIIP Reply with quote

I called 1345 about the requirements for citizenship and they said that if I finished all 5 levels of KIIP then I will be exempt from the interview and test of naturalization.
Is this true or is it another one of those things that you hear from a korean official but are far from reality ? and did anyone try it ?

It will benefit me because although I finished level 4, my korean language skills are not that great to pass the interview and test.
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CentralCali



Joined: 17 May 2007

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Last I heard, the only place she could have "won her case" would have been with that totally ineffective Korean government office that's supposed to "advise" other government offices and civilian outfits but that her treatment was not, in fact, a violation of Korean law so no joy there. Now, I'd be delighted if things have changed enough--or even at all--since then to the point that the government actually and severely enough punishes outfits that discriminate in such a manner.

tob55 wrote:
CentralCali wrote:
tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business. They quickly change their tune once I show them my ID or my wife mentions that they could be sued for discriminating against a Korean citizen. (My wife has grown to be quite intolerant of Korean businesses that play the 'he's a foreigner' routine with us.


If that person kept up with the news, they might not have changed their tune. Remember the naturalized woman who was denied entry to a spa?


I remember the story. She could have sued and won her case if she chose to. One particular night club in our area is notorious for not allowing foreigners in, so I had a plan. I went and requested service at the door. They said, 'No foreigners allowed." I showed them my Korean ID, and they said 'No foreigners allowed.' I told them to take a look at the ID. They insisted. I called the police who promptly came. The police looked at my ID then talked to the people. They asked what I wanted them to do. I said, 'Let me go in or else shut this place down right now.' They told the owners what I said, and reluctantly they let me in. I walked in, looked around, and then left. Why the long drawn out situation? Because, I was not going to be discriminated against as a legal Korean citizen. It worked. A similar thing happened with SK Telecom. they jacked me around about phone service until my wife threatened to sue them for discrimination. It happens still too often for people, but as the companies and business finally wake up to the fact that more people are becoming citizens of the country they are less blatant with their discrimination.


Last edited by CentralCali on Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:08 pm; edited 2 times in total
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:12 pm    Post subject: Re: KIIP Reply with quote

malaz wrote:
I called 1345 about the requirements for citizenship and they said that if I finished all 5 levels of KIIP then I will be exempt from the interview and test of naturalization.
Is this true or is it another one of those things that you hear from a korean official but are far from reality ? and did anyone try it ?

It will benefit me because although I finished level 4, my korean language skills are not that great to pass the interview and test.


As of last year when I received my citizenship it WAS true. They may, however, have changed the qualifications since that time. To finish all five levels of the KIIP means that you would have had to taken something equivalent to the naturalization test anyway. Although, the interview really isn't that hard, so opting out of it is neither a benefit or a disadvantage, IMHO.
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CentralCali wrote:
Last I heard, the only place she could have "won her case" would have been with that totally ineffective Korean government office that's supposed to "advise" other government offices and civilian outfits but that her treatment was not, in fact, a violation of Koran law so joy there. Now, I'd be delighted if things have changed enough--or even at all--since then to the point that the government actually and severely enough punishes outfits that discriminate in such a manner.

tob55 wrote:
CentralCali wrote:
tob55 wrote:
I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly, but even today more than a year after receiving my naturalization I occasionally have some ass wipe who wants to be cute question whether or not I am a Korean citizen for purposes of business. They quickly change their tune once I show them my ID or my wife mentions that they could be sued for discriminating against a Korean citizen. (My wife has grown to be quite intolerant of Korean businesses that play the 'he's a foreigner' routine with us.


If that person kept up with the news, they might not have changed their tune. Remember the naturalized woman who was denied entry to a spa?


I remember the story. She could have sued and won her case if she chose to. One particular night club in our area is notorious for not allowing foreigners in, so I had a plan. I went and requested service at the door. They said, 'No foreigners allowed." I showed them my Korean ID, and they said 'No foreigners allowed.' I told them to take a look at the ID. They insisted. I called the police who promptly came. The police looked at my ID then talked to the people. They asked what I wanted them to do. I said, 'Let me go in or else shut this place down right now.' They told the owners what I said, and reluctantly they let me in. I walked in, looked around, and then left. Why the long drawn out situation? Because, I was not going to be discriminated against as a legal Korean citizen. It worked. A similar thing happened with SK Telecom. they jacked me around about phone service until my wife threatened to sue them for discrimination. It happens still too often for people, but as the companies and business finally wake up to the fact that more people are becoming citizens of the country they are less blatant with their discrimination.


That is not really something I see changing quickly. For businesses especially, their specific advantage is in discriminating against people who have no legal means or ability to sue them and win. However, the fact that businesses would discriminate against someone who is a legally naturalized citizen is in my opinion another matter. this is why I make a point of bringing things to people attention. Too bad for the woman though. It certainly shows the gender inequality that exists in this country.
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CentralCali



Joined: 17 May 2007

PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It also shows that "threatening to sue" a business owner who knows better is a waste of one's breath. As I said above, I'd be delighted if the government in South Korea would actually do something concrete about discrimination. They're going to have to in the not so distant future, anyway, given the changing demographics of the Korean citizenry, so they might as well pull their mentality out of the Hermit Kingdom ages and do the right thing now. A good start would be to enact real anti-discrimination legislation and to empower the NHRC with the ability to levy administrative fines for violators. Another step would be to have business licenses revoked with a set period banning violators from getting another business license. And for businesses which refuse to comply with non-discrimination laws, then they should face trial and actual penalties.

By the way, do you think if it had been you, instead of the "real Korean" ("real Korean" as perceived by the offending person, of course) threatening to sue, you would have had the same result as your wife?
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malaz



Joined: 06 Jan 2013

PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just read this whole thread .. really useful info !

I have another question .. I heard that being rejected from naturalization may cause a change in your original visa ! kind of a downgrade to F-1 or something. is this true ?

currently I have E-3 (researcher visa) and I am eligible for F-5 as of March 2015.. I hate to loose my status if that is the case !
and do you think its better to wait until I get my F-5 before applying ?
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tob55



Joined: 29 Apr 2007

PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CentralCali wrote:
It also shows that "threatening to sue" a business owner who knows better is a waste of one's breath. As I said above, I'd be delighted if the government in South Korea would actually do something concrete about discrimination. They're going to have to in the not so distant future, anyway, given the changing demographics of the Korean citizenry, so they might as well pull their mentality out of the Hermit Kingdom ages and do the right thing now. A good start would be to enact real anti-discrimination legislation and to empower the NHRC with the ability to levy administrative fines for violators. Another step would be to have business licenses revoked with a set period banning violators from getting another business license. And for businesses which refuse to comply with non-discrimination laws, then they should face trial and actual penalties.

By the way, do you think if it had been you, instead of the "real Korean" ("real Korean" as perceived by the offending person, of course) threatening to sue, you would have had the same result as your wife?


Probably not is the best answer I can give you, but one thing really happened during the encounter. At least ONE business now knows they stand the risk of action being taken against them for their actions. Yeah, it isn't earth moving, but in my case the satisfaction came in two ways: 1) My wife now understands that as the spouse of a foreign born citizen of the country she has a responsibility to call out discrimination when she sees it (it isn't always positive for 'real' Koreans to speak out. My wife once lost a job because the place she was working took exception to the fact that she was helping myself and another foreign friend who had gotten sick at a restaurant of a new department store, and the store was attempting to railroad us.) 2) Each situation people rise to let their voice be heard DOES get attention from people in the right places.

I understand where you are coming from and I agree with many of the things you are saying. I just know for me personally I have to choose the battles I want to fight very carefully.
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