National Court Administration, Family Register Office for Overseas Koreans

  • KOREAN
background

Report of Birth

Child Born In Wedlock Between a Foreign Father and Korean Mother

  1. Surname and origin of the surname of the child

    A child born in wedlock between a foreign father and Korean mother may be given the father’s surname or the mother’s surname and its origin. If a couple has several children, each child may take the father's or mother's surname.
    Even where a child’s birth was registered with the father’s surname in the father’s country, the child’s birth may be reported with the foreign father’s or Korean mother’s surname and its origin in the Republic of Korea.
    However, if there was an agreement that the children shall succeed the mother’s surname and its origin, the mother’s surname and its origin shall be given to the children.

  2. Given name of the child

    If a child is registered with a foreign given name following the father’s surname in the father’s country, either the foreign given name registered in the father’s country (no new foreign given name is allowed for registration) or a new Korean given name may be written in the report, irrespective of whose surname, the father’s or the mother’s, is used for the child.
    When a report of birth is filed with the foreign given name registered in the father’s country following the foreign father’s surname, the number of letters of the child’s given name may exceed five.

    How to Prepare a Report of Birth where a Child Born In Wedlock Between a Foreign Father (Wild Beckham) and Korean Mother (Shin Sun-I) is registered with a Foreign Given Name Following the Father’s Surname in the Father’s Country

    Example: Suppose the foreign given name registered in the identification register of the foreign country following the father’s surname (Beckham) is David Subin

    • If the report of the birth is filed following the mother’s surname (Shin)

      1. Shin David Subin（O）： Registered foreign name

      2. Shin Subin （O）：New Korean name

      3. Shin David （X）: Not allowed because it is deemed a new foreign name

    • If the report of the birth is filed following the father’s surname (Beckham)

      1. Beckham David Subin （O）：Registered foreign name

      2. Beckham Subin （O）： New Korean name (Beckham 秀彬: A name in Chinese characters is also acceptable)

      3. Beckham David （x）: Not allowed because it is deemed a new foreign name

  3. How to change a person’s registered foreign name following the foreign father’s surname to the surname of the Korean mother and a Korean given name later

    If a person intends to change his/her surname, he/she shall go through the court process of changing a surname and its origin.
    Similarly, a person who intends to change his/her given name shall go through the court process of changing a given name separately.