Mostly I write about business and technology. Sometimes, though, I detour and cover topics that simply pique my interest. My latest piece, More Korean Adoptees Apply For Dual Citizenship, which was published on Hyphen magazine‘s blog, is one such detour.
In response to years of adoptee-led campaigns, the Korean government now allows people born in South Korea and adopted elsewhere to obtain dual citizenship. I wanted to look at the program after its one-year mark. As I mention in the story, the program is still evolving and some of its potentially awkward features have yet to be fully tested. The adoptees I interviewed had suggestions for improvement but said they are happy with their new status.
The number of adoptee dual citizens is small but growing. I believe the program has the potential to shape Korean culture and society as well as influence policy in other countries that practice international adoption (China, India). I’ll be keeping an eye on this.
Glad to see you’re back to writing articles. I tried to leave a comment on your Twitter feed about the gentleman wanting dual citizenship. I was told by an Immigration official that it is now possible, but one still has to go through the naturalization process (which would be straightforward, but a little time-consuming, if his mother is a former ROK citizen and he is thus eligible for an F-4 visa).
August 20, 2012 at 7:35 amThanks, I see your Twitter replies now. He should see them, as well.
The citizenship process adoptees follow is similar to the naturalization process, so I imagine it would take about the same amount of time (9 months).
I’m still writing. Not as frequently as before, but still writing 🙂
August 20, 2012 at 7:56 am