The Story of Living Without a Family Register and Getting the First 'Jumin Deungnokjeung' After 68 Years

Restoring Identity with Welfare Center Support... Escaping the Welfare Blind Spot

Receiving the First Resident Registration Card in 68 Years [Provided by Namyangju-si Byeollae Administrative Welfare Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The story of a woman in her 60s who, unaware of her official family registry, obtained her first resident registration card after 68 years with the help of staff at the Community Welfare Center has recently come to light, touching many hearts.

On October 30, A (68, female) visited the Civil Service Office at Byeollae Administrative Welfare Center (Namyangju, Gyeonggi) to obtain documents.

According to Kim Tae-wan, a clerk at the Welfare Center, they checked A’s name, resident registration number, and fingerprints required for issuing the documents, but no information related to A appeared in the administrative network system.

It was later confirmed that A was an unregistered resident who had been using a self-made resident number and alias.

Through initial counseling, it was discovered that A grew up as an orphan in Suwon and was unable to apply for resident registration when the orphanage she lived in closed around the time she graduated from middle school, resulting in her being deprived of basic rights and facing many restrictions as a citizen until now.

Unaware that her identity had never been properly registered, A had been living without this knowledge. After her spouse, with whom she had lived for over 20 years, passed away a few years ago, she faced eviction due to long-term unpaid management fees for her rental apartment.

Without a proper job, A needed the apartment deposit to pay the overdue fees and move out. However, despite living together, she had no children and was in a de facto marriage with her spouse, so the deposit went to the deceased spouse’s siblings.

Realizing she could not exercise property rights over the apartment she lived in, A sought to petition the court and needed documents for that purpose. However, as an unregistered resident, she could not obtain the necessary documents.

The welfare center staff first decided to restore A’s identity so she could be saved from eviction and receive government welfare services.

They visited A’s apartment but found no clues to verify her identity. They explored various avenues, including applying for surname establishment through the Legal Home Doctor service and investigating family records related to her identity, but to no avail.

By chance, welfare center staff heard A’s original name and used the Chinese characters she remembered as a clue, discovering that she had graduated from middle school in Suwon.

Based on the personal (family registry) information obtained through academic record inquiries, A’s old photos, the location of the orphanage on past aerial photographs, and the name of the orphanage director matched A’s memories, allowing them to proceed with issuing her resident registration card.

Meanwhile, A has moved out of the apartment and is currently staying temporarily in a goshiwon (small lodging) with the help of the welfare center. With assistance from a real estate agency that regularly volunteers and donates, she plans to move to a two-room house in Byeollae-dong in the first week of January next year.

A can now live without a deposit (3 million won), and the Byeollae Administrative Welfare Center has completed applications for basic livelihood security and basic pension benefits in A’s name. If selected as a beneficiary, she will receive short-term living expenses support, including monthly rent assistance, through emergency welfare services.

At the time of applying for her resident registration card, A expressed gratitude to the welfare center staff and real estate agency personnel who helped her, saying, "I never thought about applying for a resident registration card until now."

Kim Kyung-hwan, head of the Byeollae Administrative Welfare Center, said, "We will continue to actively identify and support neighbors in need to ensure no one is left in welfare blind spots, and we thank Suwon Jeil Middle School for playing a decisive role in restoring A’s identity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.