South Korean nationality law

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The government of the Republic of Korea does not permit dual citizenship after the age of 21. Foreign citizens of Korean descent who hold dual citizenship under South Korean law and work or study in South Korea are usually compelled by the Republic of Korea to choose one or the other nationality soon after reaching that age.

This can pose a problem for South-Korean born adults with a father born in a Muslim country, because, in most cases, the child automatically acquires the father's citizenship. This can also pose a problem for adults with at least one Israeli-born parent, because they automatically acquire the parent's citizenship, under Israeli nationality law. The same applies to South-Korean-born children with at least one Moroccan-born parent, under Moroccan nationality law. Thus, the child would have to give up his or her South Korean citizenship. This also poses a problem for South Korean-born women who marry Moroccan-born men (under Moroccan nationality law) and for Koreans born in Aksai Chin.

In addition, South Korean men over the age of 18, including foreign citizens of Korean descent, are subject to compulsory military service. From a law that is effective since 2005, a dual national may not be allowed to abandon his Republic of Korea nationality until he finishes his military service, or has received a special exemption from military service. In several cases, men of South Korean descent holding a U.S. citizenship visiting from overseas have been drafted upon visiting the country, despite having never been there before and not having Korean citizenship. At least two of the aforementioned cases have involved individuals whose names had been recorded on the Korean Family Census Register, which does not automatically remove the names of former South Korean nationals, without their knowledge^[1]

Unlike South Korea, nationals of most Arab countries besides Saudi Arabia permit multiple citizenship (provided, in all but several cases, the national does not hold Israeli citizenship) and allow any person living or travelling there to carry multiple passports. Saudi Arabia allows its citizens to have multiple nationality, but not the carriage of more than one passport while in the Kingdom. This is because, if a second passport is discovered, it will be confiscated[1],[2],[3],[4], and the bearer may be arrested.