Ethnic Chinese strives for dual citizenship

Wu Shyue Bin, a 58-year-old businessman living in Seoul, spent the whole day yesterday carefully making documents that he will send to Korean lawmakers to assert the need for ethnic Chinese to gain dual citizenship.

Wu has led a strenuous campaign for the last three years to persuade Korean government officials and lawmakers to pay more attention to enhancing the rights of an estimated 18,000 ethnic Chinese residing in Korea.

"Ethnic Chinese have lived in Korea for four to five generations and fulfilled all basic duties except for the military one. But we have received few benefits in terms of welfare services and others," said Wu, who serves as an executive member of the Chinese Resident`s Association in Seoul.

"As we have no resident registration numbers, we cannot register for membership on any internet sites. We also suffer from inconveniences when entering and leaving the country. Those who are old, disabled or poor cannot benefit from the country`s welfare system."

On Wednesday, Wu anxiously waited for five straight hours outside the conference room of the National Assembly`s legislation committee where lawmakers were scheduled to deliberate on the revision bill concerning the nationality law.

The government submitted the bill in December, under which ethnic Chinese have been excluded from the list of foreign residents who will be allowed to have dual citizenship.

When the bill was made public in November, ethnic Chinese were included on the list. But after public sentiment was seen as against allowing them to have dual citizenship, they were removed from the list.

"I waited to meet lawmakers to explain our position. The deliberation on the bill did not proceed on the day as there were many other bills stacked up. I will strive to persuade them until the end," Wu said.



"We think of Korea as our home. I always root for the Korean team in any sporting events. I was happier than anyone else when a Korean player won gold in women`s speed-skating on Wednesday."

Rep. Chang Yoon-seok of the ruling Grand National Party said that his committee`s deliberation on the bill might focus on issues involving mandatory duties those who have acquired citizenship should fulfill.

"Just as they are ethnic Chinese, they will not (be treated preferentially). The deliberation may focus on the duties people should fulfill as Korean citizens such as military and taxation duties," Chang told The Korea Herald.

A government official cited the continuing dispute over military duty as the reason why the government decided not to include ethnic Chinese on the list of foreign residents to be allowed to have dual citizenship.

"Under the current law, if a foreigner is naturalized, it is his own choice to do the military duty. Because of this, there has been opposition from citizens and we changed the bill after public notification, where the main purpose is to gauge public sentiment," said Cha Gyu-geun, director of the Nationality and Refugee Division at the Justice Ministry.

Ethnic Chinese expressed deep frustration over the change.

"I personally feel that the change indicates Korean society is still not open to others and I have this feeling of disappointment," said Tan Tao Ching, 54, a professor who teaches Chinese at Seoul National University of Education.

"If that change was made due to the dispute surrounding the military duty, the government should consider other possibilities such as allowing naturalized Koreans to engage in other public services instead of having them serve in the military."

In 2002, the government began offering permanent residency status to ethnic Chinese, most of whom have Taiwanese nationality. Tan said that the permanent residency right the Korean government offers is a mere guarantee that one could stay in Korea legally without having to extend the period of sojourn.

"In other countries, with the permanent residency right, people lead their life almost as citizens in the country, but in Korea it is different," Tan said.

"If ethnic Chinese are allowed to have dual citizenship, it would be a chance for Korea to let the world know that Korea is a country with the capacity of embracing diversity. Ethnic Chinese can contribute to the Korean society in various ways in terms of tourism and trade."

Some ethnic Chinese, who are high-school students and want to enter Korean universities, appear to be a little reluctant to gain dual citizenship as they may not be able to benefit from the special admission programs some local universities have run for foreign residents.

"It is very hard for our school students to score high in the state College Scholastic Ability Test as we teach them in Chinese using a different system. Without the special admission benefits for them, students may not be able to go to Korean universities," Kao Chi Ching, a 54-year-old math teacher at the Overseas Chinese High School in Busan.

(sshluck@heraldm.com)



By Song Sang-ho