National Court Administration, Family Register Office for Overseas Koreans

  • KOREAN
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Loss of Nationality and Records of the Family Relation Register

The family relation register is closed by the report on the loss of nationality. However, status changes such as marriage, divorce, death, etc., that became effective before a family relation register is closed shall be recorded in the family relation register of the subject person even after the register is already closed.
Conversely, even if the family relation register of the subject person is not closed because the loss of nationality is not yet reported, status changes that occurred after the date of loss of nationality cannot be recorded in the register.
If a Korean woman “A” (Kim Ha-neul whose name changed to Kim Sky after acquiring U.S. citizenship) filed a report on the loss of nationality and then married a Korean man “B”

The marriage that took place after the loss of nationality is not recorded in the closed family relation register of woman “A”. If a certified copy of the deed of the marriage between a woman “A” (Kim Sky), who lost her nationality by acquiring US citizenship, and Korean man “B” is submitted, the specific registered matters of foreign woman “A” (Kim Sky, a citizen of the United States of America) are recorded in the family relation register of Korean man “B”.

Suppose that the marriage of Korean woman “A” with Korean man “B” was reported, but Korean woman “A” did not report her divorce from Korean man “B” later, which was concluded according to the procedure of a foreign country. She then reported the loss of her nationality after acquiring US citizenship and her divorce to an overseas Korean diplomatic mission.

Although the family relation register of woman “A” was already closed, the divorce between woman “A” and man “B” is recorded in the closed register of woman “A” because the status was established before the loss of her nationality.

Suppose that the marriage of Korean woman “A” with Korean man “B” was reported and Korean woman “A” reported the loss of her nationality after acquiring US citizenship, and woman “A” was divorced from Korean man “B” later, which was concluded according to the procedure of a foreign country. Man “B” then reported the divorce to an overseas Korean diplomatic mission.

The family relation register of woman “A” was already closed, and the status established after the loss of her nationality may not be recorded in the closed family relation register. Therefore, the divorce is recorded only on the family relation register of Korean man “B.”