Pending Nationality-Law Reform (incl. prospective Act 21725, 시행 2026-12-03)
Citizenship in South Korea
- Eligibility
- POSSIBLE post-2018978 amendment (UNCONFIRMED) — a WebFetch summary of the law.go.kr amendment-history surfaced a possible '법률 제21725호, 공포 2026-06-02, 시행 2026-12-03' touching simplified naturalization for spouses/descendants of independence-merit recipients and marriage-authenticity. If real, a 2026-12-03 EIF would be PROSPECTIVE (not yet in force as of 2026-06-21).
- Timeline
- pending
- Renunciation
- Not required
Legal basis
Primary statute: 법률 제21725호 (시행 2026-12-03, prospective) + 국회 의안. Operative None–present. Authority: Minister of Justice (법무부장관); Korea Immigration Service (출입국·외국인정책본부).
Example scenarios
Outcome depends on the prospective amendment
Law No. 21725 (effective 2026-12-03, not yet in force): reported to touch simplified-naturalization categories; track the gazette before it takes effect.
Outcome pending the prospective amendment
Law 21725 is not yet in force; current law applies until then.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-06-22.
Track changes to this route
Descent and naturalization rules change. We'll email you in plain English when anything affecting South Korea updates — no spam.