I became naturalized US citizen and kept my Korean passport about 8 years ago. I never used my Korean passport since and just kept it for sentimental reasons (it’s probably expired anyway).

Now, I am told my one attorney that it’s my duty to report to the consulate over here in NY and that I renounce my Korean citizenship. (Yea, like I’m gonna waste my time doing that!) I’m told if I do not do this, I can still get drafted if I’m still age-eligible. I’m in my mid 30’s now so if they do take me away to serve for not renouncing my citizenship, I’d be surprised that they’d even want me!

If they really do want me to serve and put my fellow soldiers at harm’s way…well, I will just say “I told you so,” when shit hits the fan. I’m in pretty good shape physically, but it now takes me 3 full days to recover when I go out drinking as opposed to a few hours when I was in my teens and early 20’s. I cannot imagine guarding a post without falling asleep.

Charlie

A consul at the French Embassy told me some years ago that when a Korean citizen acquired the French citizenship, they did *not* notify Korean authorities, so it was up to the newly minted Frenchie to do it, if he/she felt like it.

It’s the same story for Canada. I’ve got a current should-be-simple immigration matter which is being complicated enormously by this factor.

Some countries don’t go as far as preventing you from giving up nationality, but do allow you to regain it again if you wish later. I beleive Australia is fairly relaxed on reinstating citizenship on application to those who have previously renounced it. UK is more restricted it will allow reinstatement once without problem, but will need strong persuasion to allow it twice (kind of once may be a mistake, but twice….) Checked this out for myself, as ironically for me getting korean citizenship seems easier then getting F5 Permanent Residency.

As to the Korean with three citizenships, I would assume he was an anchor baby who received citizenship in the US just by being born here.

Nope. I know the guy well, in fact, or at east knEw him well, and he was born in Korea, somewhere around Pusan, in the 60s. No fodder for the anti-Visa Waiver, much as I would like it too…

Doesn’t Korea require dual nationals to choose when they become adults?

what is required and what happens are two different things. the requirement is that by getting citizenship in another country, it is the right and duty of the korean national to go down to his local gu and remove his name from the family registry and turn in his korean passport. i have yet to meet anyone who actually did this. all of the koreans i’ve known who had both citizenships kept both citizenships.

as to the korean with three citizenships, i would assume he was an anchor baby who received citizenship in the US just by being born here. this is a practice by pregnant korean women that continues unabated.

Or, is it possible to have dual citizenship if he already served in the ROK military?

I’ve seen at least one guy with THREE passports — his birth Korean passport, a French passport [he was married to a French woman], and a US passport — that one I have no idea how he got it. So yeah I guess it’s indeed possible.

When I was in college, I had a couple of French-Japanese friends with both passports — Japan is just as intolerant as Korea regarding dual citizenship, and they both told me they entered Japan with their Japanese passport, and France with their French passport. They had no issues with the military duty, since Japan doesn’t have a draft, and France didn’t care whether you left the country before you did your tour of duty — and in any event France doesn’t have a draft any longer.

A consul at the French Embassy told me some years ago that when a Korean citizen acquired the French citizenship, they did *not* notify Korean authorities, so it was up to the newly minted Frenchie to do it, if he/she felt like it.

Likewise, he told me it was *impossible* as a French citizen — at least one who was born as a French — to lose his/her citizenship. So basically, those interested in taking up the Korean citizenship would just have to drop by the Embassy after the naturalization procedure and get a new passport. I dunno whether this still applies today, though, with the changes in the citizenship laws.