High TOPIK scores help foreigners get Korean citizenship

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Foreigners with high scores on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) will get a partial exemption from some courses of the Korean Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), the Ministry of Justice said.

According to the ministry, Sunday, foreigners who receive the first to fourth TOPIK grades will be equivalent to those who complete the first to fourth levels of the Korean language training and understanding Korean Society courses under the KIIP.

The KIIP is a government-initiated social program to help foreigners understand Korean history and language. The program is designed and implemented by the Ministry of Justice to help foreigners who want to live here.

Those who complete the KIIP courses will be exempted from the immigration examination and get shorter reviews when they apply for Korean citizenship.

Taught at some 70 locations around the country, the courses are free and do not require specific visa status as long as one is legally in the country.

In order to get the partial exemption, a foreigner needs to go to the KIIP webpage, www.socinet.go.kr, and submit their exemption applications and TOPIK transcripts to their local immigration office.