Daily Dose of Motivation

What are the advantages of acquiring a Korean nationality?

If you already have a non-Asian (Western) citizenship, there's really not much to benefit from acquiring a Korean one at first glance. This is especially if you are a young male and physically able to serve in the army. I am neither of those.

More than ten years ago, acquiring citizenship was a bit more lax but I wasn't really that keen on changing mine. Korea doesn't allow dual citizenship at that time and I didn't think I was ready to give up mine to have a new one. First, my Korean language was dismal, to say the least. How can even think of acquiring the citizenship of this country when I can hardly speak their language, understand the culture and how their government system works? Just because I married a Korean? That is not logical at all.

I was working even when I was pregnant up until I gave birth with just a month or so break and learning the language or acquiring citizenship was not really my priority. My husband had no regular job so I had to work and raise a kid.

Fast forward to 14 years now, my son is almost grown up (I'm pretty sure he'll like this part^^) and my husband has a regular job at least for the next couple of years, I am now in a better place to learn and really understand what and how it is to be a Korean citizen.

The naturalization process has gotten a bit more complicated but I believe it's all for the good of the nation in the long run. There are more institutionalized programs for people who want to get Korean citizenship specifically for married immigrants like me or even just permanent residency for some. Besides, the government now allows dual citizenship so that is a plus for me. I get to have another nationality and I have a better understanding of the country now and what role I can play besides being a wife to a Korean and a mom to one.

Different folks, different strokes. I did not sign up for this just because of that. I want to understand how this country works. Acquiring Korean citizenship is not just an additional passport. It legitimizes one's existence in a country where one can figure out what role he can play for the common good.

Let's move on from the ideals get down to the practicality of it. Why am I going to acquire that citizenship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a non-Korean living here?

Let me just count the ways that I have come across the idea that having citizenship would have made things easier.

1. Getting those documents from the automated machine. Only citizens, 19-year-old and above, can use those machines. I'm pretty sure there can be a technical way to allow registered expats for such but it's exclusively for the legit Koreans this time.

2. Additional medical and other documents especially when applying for a teaching job. There is a drug test required with the assumption that foreigners would have more likely been exposed to such. I believe it stemmed from some previous misdemeanors that came to light a few years ago. Aside from that, other documents will need to be sourced from one's home country: criminal and educational records, etc.

3. Signing up to certain websites, financial products (i.e. loans, mutual funds, digital currencies, anyone?), and other services that are non-foreigner friendly. This thing just comes up every now and then in my five years of living here. Not only that there is a language wall to scale, but there are also times when there is another wall to break --- citizenship.

4. Government social programs (education, health care, pensions) -  I am not very big on this since I am married to a Korean national and has access to the national health insurance but I am very sure about the pension system. It's common knowledge that Korea has an aging population and this doesn't spell rosy future for everyone concerned with pensions. That's something that I have to research some more.

5. Unrestricted residency. No need to report to the immigration office that you moved but you can do so at the nearest jumincenter if you are a citizen. Although that is not really such a big deal for me. I generally like the rules but it's just pretty inconvenient for non-citizens like me.

6. Political rights. No one can question if you want to join the candlelight protest or any street protest that fancies you. :D Well, what I'm actually saying is that I can vote for the president. Not that I don't like the current government. On the contrary, I would have liked to have been to able to cast my vote during the last presidential election.

That's about it,for now, to motivate me to hit the books and do well on this upcoming interview.