Birthactive
Citizenship at birth through a Korean parent
A person born to a Korean national parent acquires Korean nationality at birth. Birth in Korea alone to two foreign parents is not general jus soli under the Nationality Act.
Citizenship routes
Ancestryreviewed
Naturalizationreviewed
Birthreviewed
Investmentreviewed
Naturalizationactive
Naturalization as the spouse of a citizen
A spouse of a Korean may naturalize after two years of residence while married (or one year if married three or more years), instead of five.
Ancestryactive
Citizenship through a Korean parent or simplified origin naturalization
A child acquires Korean nationality when a parent is a Korean national at birth. Separately, simplified naturalization routes exist for persons with a Korean parent, former Korean nationals, or other statutory family/origin links after shorter residence than ordinary naturalization, subject to Nationality Act conditions and Ministry of Justice screening.
Sources: HiKorea — Simple naturalization · HiKorea — General naturalization (5 years)
Naturalizationactive
General naturalization after five years domicile and permanent residence
General naturalization requires more than five consecutive years of domicile in the Republic of Korea, permanent residency status, legal majority under Korean civil law, good conduct, livelihood ability, basic Korean language and cultural knowledge, and no national-security or public-order obstacle. Permission is granted by the Minister of Justice; eligibility is not an entitlement.