Published: 29.06.2026
The Seoul Administrative Court upheld the Ministry of Justice’s refusal to grant simplified naturalization to a Chinese national. Although she later married a South Korean citizen and lived legally in the country for years, the court considered her earlier entry using another person’s passport, illegal stay and failure to disclose that history.
The ruling shows that years of lawful residence and marriage to a South Korean citizen do not erase the consequences of serious immigration violations when applying for simplified naturalization. The “good conduct” requirement may be assessed against the applicant’s full immigration history, including inaccurate disclosures in later visa applications. This is particularly relevant to family migrants and citizenship applicants with past entry, overstaying or identity-related violations. People planning a move should review such issues in advance and provide accurate information throughout immigration procedures.