National Court Administration, Family Register Office for Overseas Koreans

  • KOREAN
background

Report of Recognition

Recognition of Paternity and Nationality

A child born out of wedlock to a Korean mother is not required to go through a separate process to acquire nationality because the child has acquired the nationality of the Republic of Korea by birth.
However, in the case of a child born out of wedlock between a Korean father and foreign mother, the parent-child relationship between the Korean father and the child is established only when the Korean father recognizes the child as his own.
For the child (a minor under the “Civil Act” of the Republic of Korea) to acquire Korean nationality, the Korean father must file a recognition report with the registration office and separately report the acquisition of nationality to the Minister of Justice, and only then will the child acquire Korean nationality.
Also, in the above case, even if the father and mother marry after the child’s birth, the child does not acquire Korean nationality at birth.
The child must also undergo the nationality acquisition procedure to acquire the nationality.

If the recognized person is an adult under the “Civil Act” of the Republic of Korea, the person cannot acquire Korean nationality by reporting the acquisition of nationality.
He/she may acquire Korean nationality with permission for naturalization if the person satisfies the requirements for special naturalization.