General Naturalization (일반귀화)

General naturalization (일반귀화) is the residual naturalization route: a foreigner must meet ALL six requirements of 국적법 제5조 to obtain naturalization permission (귀화허가) from the Minister of Justice, EXCEPT where the facilitated (제6조) or special (제7조) naturalization routes apply. The decision authority is 법무부장관 (Minister of Justice), who under 제4조제2항 examines whether the 제5조~제7조 requirements are met and grants permission only to those who satisfy them.

• General naturalization (일반귀화) is the residual naturalization route: a foreigner must meet ALL six requirements of 국적법 제5조 to obtain naturalization permission (귀화허가) from the Minister of Justice, EXCEPT where the facilitated (제6조) or special (제7조) naturalization routes apply. The decision authority is 법무부장관 (Minister of Justice), who under 제4조제2항 examines whether the 제5조~제7조 requirements are met and grants permission only to those who satisfy them.

• Naturalization takes effect at the OATH-AND-CERTIFICATE moment, not at the grant of permission: a person who obtains naturalization permission under 제4조제1항 acquires ROK nationality at the time he/she takes an oath of citizenship (국민선서) before the Minister of Justice AND is granted a certificate of naturalization (귀화증서), per 국적법 제4조제3항. The Minister may exempt a person from the oath where age or physical/mental disability prevents understanding it. Per 제4조제4항, the head of a regional immigration office may receive the oath / grant the certificate on the Minister's behalf. This oath-timing regime was INTRODUCED by Act No. 15249, effective 2018-12-20. (The oath provision is 제4조제3항, NOT 제5조.) - Naturalization-test mechanics (귀화적격심사 / 종합평가 + 면접심사) operationalize the 제5조제5호 basic-knowledge and 제5조제3호 good-conduct requirements at the Enforcement-Decree / Ministerial level: the eligibility examination is conducted as a written comprehensive evaluation (종합평가) and interview (면접심사) with a pass mark of 60 out of 100 (60점 이상); completion of the Social Integration Program (사회통합프로그램, KIIP) advanced level can exempt the written test. The test structure and pass-mark are NOT in the Nationality Act itself — the Act states only the substantive 제5조제5호/제3호 requirement.

Primary statute: 국적법 제5조. Operative 1948-12-20–present. Authority: Minister of Justice (법무부장관); Korea Immigration Service (출입국·외국인정책본부).