What changed for children of Korean-foreign couples when registering names in Korea?

The family registry rules now allow full foreign-style names without the previous five-character limit. Children can register longer given names even when they take a Korean parent’s surname.

Who was affected by the old name registration limit for mixed-nationality families?

The old rule mainly restricted children of Korean and foreign parents whose names exceeded five characters. Longer names were previously allowed only when the child took the surname of a foreign father.

Can children already registered with shortened names change them now?

Yes. Children who were registered under abbreviated names can update their records through supplementary registration, as long as the name matches what appears on the foreign parent’s national identity documents.

Children of Korean-foreign couples now allowed to register longer names

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Summary

Children of Korean-foreign couples can now register longer foreign-style names without a five-character limit, after the Supreme Court’s Registration Office revised family registry rules on Friday. The change lets children who take a Korean parent’s surname use full names such as Kim Alexandriana or Park Cristiano. Previously, longer names were allowed only when the child took the foreign father’s surname. Children already registered under shortened names may update them through supplementary registration if the name matches foreign identity documents.

Key Facts

The previous rule limited given names for children of mixed-nationality couples to five characters, excluding the family name.
The old exception applied only when a child took the surname of a foreign father.
Children previously registered under abbreviated names can seek supplementary registration if the name matches the foreign parent’s national identity documents.

By Hankookilbo

Published Jun 24, 2025 12:01 pm KST

Foreign tourists take part in a traditional Korean wedding ceremony during the Bukchon Craft Festival at Cheonggye Plaza in Jongno District, Seoul, on June 7. Yonhap

Children born to Korean and foreign parents will now be able to register foreign-style names in full, such as “Kim Alexandriana” or “Park Cristiano,” without being restricted by a character limit.

The Supreme Court’s Registration Office announced Tuesday that it revised the family registry regulations on Friday, lifting the previous five-character limit (excluding the family name) for names of children born to mixed-nationality couples.

Until now, names exceeding five characters were only allowed if the child took the surname of their foreign father.

With the revision, children who take their Korean parent’s surname can also use longer foreign-style given names that reflect their multicultural heritage. Previously, names like “Alexandriana” or “Cristiano” had to be shortened to “Alexandra” or “Christian” due to the limit.

Children who were previously registered under abbreviated names can also update their records through a supplementary registration process, as long as the name matches what appears on the foreign parent’s national identity documents.

“This revision ensures that children with a foreign mother are treated equally to those with a foreign father when it comes to name registration,” a court official said. “Regardless of which parent is foreign or whose surname the child takes, families now have greater freedom to reflect cultural diversity in their children’s names.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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