Ministry of Justice to Grant Overseas Korean Residency Status to Minor Children of Chinese and Goryeo Ethnic Koreans

Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye./Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The Ministry of Justice announced on the 27th that starting from the 3rd of next month, it will grant Overseas Korean (F-4) residency status to minor children of Chinese and Koryoin compatriots attending elementary, middle, and high schools in Korea to guarantee their right to education.

This measure aims to resolve residency instability by granting the stable Overseas Korean (F-4) status to minor children of compatriots who have been receiving Visit Cohabitation (F-1) status based on their parents' primary residency status. It also seeks to proactively embrace these children as healthy future talents by providing them with the opportunity to choose their studies and explore career paths in advance, the Ministry of Justice explained.

The policy applies to compatriots aged 6 to 18 who are currently enrolled in domestic elementary, middle, or high schools, or who are unable to attend school due to long-term illness or severe disabilities.

Visit Cohabitation (F-1), a secondary residency status granted according to primary residency statuses such as relative visits, family cohabitation, or dependents, has a maximum single stay period of two years and does not permit employment activities.

Until now, minor children of Chinese and Koryoin compatriots, unlike children of overseas Koreans in the Americas, had to graduate from high school in Korea to be granted Overseas Korean (F-4) status.

Therefore, if their parents' residency period expired or if there was no domestic guardian, they could no longer receive permission to extend their stay, forcing them to discontinue their studies and return to their home countries.

With the implementation of this system, regardless of their parents' residency status or period, minor children can obtain permission to change to Overseas Korean (F-4) status and continue their studies in Korea until they graduate from high school, and thereafter, they will also be able to find employment domestically.

Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye said, "As the comprehensive department for overseas Korean policies, we will pursue proactive and future-oriented policies to help overseas Koreans settle more stably in our society and coexist with our citizens," adding, "We expect this measure to enable minor children of Chinese and Koryoin compatriots of school age to continue their studies stably in Korea and, after graduation, become outstanding talents needed by both our country and their home countries."

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