Seoul eyes giving more denizenship for foreign investors

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in para 4, bottom)
By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Monday it plans to
effectively offer more denizenships, or rights of permanent residence, to foreign
investors contributing to job creation in South Korea.
Officials said they also plan to revive a system under which all foreign
nationals are obliged to undergo fingerprinting upon entering the country and
allow limited dual nationality to overseas nationals with "exceptional talents."
In a 2009 policy report to President Lee Myung-bak, the Ministry of Justice said
it plans to lower the minimum requirement for foreign investors to receive
denizenships starting next year.
Since June 2007, foreign investors that create over 100 new jobs have been
eligible to apply for the permit but the ministry plans to lower the requirement
to 20.
The ministry also said it plans to revive the collection of biometric fingerprint
data from all foreign visitors upon arrival at airports and ports aimed at better
immigration management. A bill will be submitted to the National Assembly next
year with the aim of placing the system in effect by as early as 2010.
Should the new law be adopted, South Korea would be the third country after the
United States and Japan to have a fingerprinting system in effect. In the past,
the government ran a similar system that applied only to non-South Korean
nationals that stayed in the country for over a year. The system was abolished in
2003.
Also in an effort to lure more foreign talent to the country, the ministry plans
to allow limited dual nationality for those who show "exceptional talent" in
various areas such as the arts and science.
It will also allow dual nationality to those that have been given foreign
nationality due to involuntary circumstances, such as adoption or overseas
births, the ministry said.
The ministry also said it plans to expand operations aimed at tackling illegal
activities over the Internet and revise the law to give prosecutors higher
authority to investigate online crimes.
In a separate report to the president, the Ministry of Government Legislation
said that it aims to submit to the National Assembly all planned government-led
bills as of now within the first half of 2009 in order to put them into effect as
soon as possible.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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