How Korea's special citizenship for outstanding foreign talent works

Korea provides a unique pathway to citizenship for foreign individuals who excel in various fields such as science, technology, business, arts, and sports. Since the program's inception in 2011, 458 people have obtained Korean citizenship through special naturalization or nationality restoration, according to data from the Ministry of Justice shared with The Korea Times.

This figure comprises 203 individuals granted special naturalization and 255 former Korean nationals who had their citizenship restored as of October. In 2023, 62 recipients were added to the list, followed by 54 in 2024 and 51 in 2025. As of the first 10 months of 2026, another 30 people acquired citizenship.

There are two main routes to citizenship under this system. Special naturalization is open to foreigners whose talents and achievements are deemed likely to benefit Korea. On the other hand, nationality restoration allows former Korean citizens who previously held foreign nationality to regain their Korean citizenship, provided they meet the same outstanding-talent criteria. Recipients of the outstanding-talent system can retain their original nationality without any loss.