South Korea to ease voting and nationality rules for overseas citizens
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Kim Kyung-hyeop, Minister of Overseas Koreans and Global Relations, announced plans to improve voting access and lower the age for multiple citizenship for South Koreans living abroad.
He detailed these plans during a press briefing marking his one-year anniversary in office. Kim emphasized that the government will prioritize changes to the election system based on requests made during 23 meetings with overseas Korean communities, the most held by any president to date.
The minister explained that the 7 million overseas Koreans are now considered valuable national assets and partners, contributing to cultural exchange, economic growth, and international diplomacy. Over the past year, his agency focused on strengthening communication with these communities, resolving grievances, and supporting their identity and capabilities. They successfully addressed 989 out of 1,438 initial requests for assistance from overseas Korean consulates, and unified the residency status for Koreans from China and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Looking ahead, Kim Kyung-hyeop stated his agency will concentrate on lowering the age limit for multiple citizenship, currently 65, to attract more skilled Koreans back to the country. He believes the current age is too high to effectively leverage the talents of overseas citizens. The agency also plans to expand support for Korean language schools abroad and build a digital platform to unify communication and services for overseas Koreans by next year.
The 2027 budget for the agency increased by 21.4% to 13.69 billion Korean won, reflecting the priorities identified through global consultations with Korean communities.
