The ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition Democratic United Party agreed Tuesday to cooperate on easing the requirements for obtaining dual citizenship as part of measures to enhance the rights of overseas Koreans.

“Recognizing that overseas Koreans are valuable human resources, eligibility for dual nationality will be expanded to enable talented individuals to contribute to the advancement of the country,” Saenuri Party Rep. Won Yoo-chul and DUP Rep. Kim Sung-gon said in a joint statement.

Won and Kim are the chiefs of the internal organization for overseas Korean issues of their respective parties. At present, overseas Koreans over the age of 65 are allowed to hold dual nationality.

The Saenuri Party plans to lower the age limit to 55, while the DUP is reviewing plans to introduce alternatives to national service and grant dual nationality to young people who have fulfilled the necessary duties.

Under the agreement, the parties will collaborate in revising related laws to issue residence registration cards for overseas Koreans, and overseas Korean registration cards for ethnic Koreans holding permanent residency in other nations.

According to Kim, the overseas Korean registration card will be valid in place of a passport.

Along with measures for improving conditions for such individuals within Korea, Won and Kim announced that lawmakers would engage the governments of concerned nations as part of efforts to enable overseas Koreans to fully exercise their political rights in their country of residence.

The parties also plan to increase the state-support for schools for ethnic Koreans in other countries and for Korean language education.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)