The Justice Ministry said Friday it will soon submit a bill to revoke citizenship obtained through fake marriages and in other inappropriate ways.
The move, aimed at staving off concerns about possible diplomatic rows with foreign governments, comes amid reports that a recent surge in international marriages is partly due to those from poor countries marrying Korean citizens, entering the country and breaking up the marriage within a short time after they get a job.
The bill calls for the cancellation of citizenship obtained illegally or by willful misrepresentation of material facts.
The ministry has thus far been dealing with the issue through related regulations without a legal basis,
As many as 7,400 foreigners obtained South Korean citizenship last year. The comparable figure for 2005 was 12,000.