[KS] Separate passports for Korean emigrants

Kaliher, Kenneth L. KaliherK at usfk.korea.army.mil
Wed Dec 15 20:10:02 EST 1999


A system of separate passports for emigrants doesn't surprise me in the
least in a country which used to assign a separate series of license plate
numbers (readily identifiable by a zero prefix) to Korean-owned imported
automobiles.  That system was finally eliminated after foreign car dealers
complained that it subjected their customers to social sanctions from fellow
Koreans who might not recognize simply from the design that a vehicle is
foreign (and thus evidence of great wealth, conspicuous consumption, and
probably some indictable offense as well).  



Why NOT a separate passport to similarly and readily identify those Koreans
who have elected to forswear the beloved homeland for greener, foreign
pastures?

Ken Kaliher

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		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Joshua Margolis
[mailto:jmargoli at nimbus.ocis.temple.edu]
		Sent:	Wednesday, December 15, 1999 1:06 AM
		To:	korean-studies at mailbase.ac.uk
		Subject:	Re: WSJ article

		I don't know how far they'll let one go with choosing the
romanization of
		one's own name in Korea, but I will throw in a piece of
related information.
		When a Korean immigrates to another country, they need to
get a special
		passport. In order to get the passport, they have to
surrender their regular
		passport, if they have one, as well as turn in their 'chumin
tu^ngnok card.'
		It doesn't even have to be immigration with intent to obtain
citizenship.
		Thus, in the case of the U.S., for example, it would apply
even to life-long
		green card holders who never give up their Korean
citizenship. I always
		thought that was a bit odd that they'd have separate
passports like that,
		though I can't say I'm familiar with the procedures in other
countries.

		Josh

		


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