Rules on household registry easing for multi-ethnic familes

By Park Si-soo

Staff reporter

Starting August, immigrant wives, who have yet to receive Korean citizenship, will still be able to have their names listed on the official household registry at the same time with their marriage certificate, said the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Monday. It is a move to help reduce various disadvantages facing many multi-ethnic families here.

Until now, non-naturalized immigrant wives were not added to the state document legally listing members of a household until they got Korean citizenship. Foreign spouses of Koreans are legally required to live here for three years to become eligible to apply for citizenship.

The absence of their names in the registry gives the families some disadvantages in year-end tax deductions, the ministry said.

"With society quickly transforming into a multi-ethnic one, the latest measure is to help multi-ethnic families smoothly settle into society," said Lee Jung-min, a ministry officer familiar with the issue.

After conducting comprehensive research, the ministry found that many foreign spouses of Koreans didn't eagerly seek Korean citizenship even though they have lived here for three years.

"There are a lot of foreign spouses who are inactive in this matter," Lee said.

Related statistics were not immediately available. The official advised new-comers to Korea to take steps to be naturalized to avoid any administrative disadvantages.