[미주 중앙일보 2026년 9월 1일 중앙경제 전문가기고의 "한국법 이야기"에 게재된 칼럼입니다.] 외국국적불행사서약에 따라 한국에선 한국 국민 처우 입출국·비자 이용시 특히 주의… 체류전 절차 확인해야 최근 복수국적자가 빠르게 늘고 있다. 국회입법조사처 자료에 따르면 2023년까지 확인된 복수국적자는 약 20만5000명에 이르며 절반 이상이 선천적 복수국적자라고 한다. 미국에서 태어나면서 부모의 국적에 따라 한국 국적도 함께 취득한 자녀나, 미국 시민권을 보유한 고령의 재외동포가 한국 국적을 회복한 경우가 대표적이다. 그런데 복수국적에 관해 자주 생기는 오해가 있다. 한국과 미국 국적을 모두 가지고 있으니 상황에 따라 편리한 국적을 골라 쓰면 된다는 생각이다. 그러나 한국 국적법은 복수국적자를 대한민국 법령의 적용에서 ‘대한민국 국민으로만 처우한다’고 규정한다. 미국 시민권을 함께 가지고 있더라도 한국에서는 원칙적으로 한국 국민이라는 의미다. 이

[Published on August 5, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] National Tax Service of Korea Begins Consultations for Returnees Starting in July Determining Tax Residency Status and Reviewing Obligations in Both Countries Is Essential, Depending on Your Stay Plans For Koreans who have lived in the United States for many years and are considering settling in Korea after retirement, taxes deserve attention just as early as

[Published on July 7, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Korea moves to introduce an integrated payout service for inherited financial assets under the "Safe Inheritance" program Easily overlooked issues such as taxes need to be reviewed separately One of the first difficulties Koreans residing in the United States face when handling inheritance matters in Korea is that they simply do not know where the assets are or

[Published on June 10, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Improved Identity Verification and Driver's License Renewal Services for Overseas Koreans Military Service Obligations Tighten as Short-Term Travel Permit Period Cut Short One of the most common difficulties faced by Koreans living in the United States when handling matters related to Korea is identity verification. In particular, without a Korean mobile phone

[Published on May 13, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Considerations: date of birth, parents’ nationality at birth, and gender Exceptions are very limited...advance verification is essential It is easy to assume that a child born in the United States is only a U.S. citizen. However, under Korean law, the child may simultaneously be a national of the Republic of Korea. If at least one parent was a Korean national a

[Published on April 14, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] From the Return of Property Itself to Monetary Valuation and Settlement The Contributive Portion Regarding Special Benefits and the Practical Timing of Application Are Also Important Under inheritance law, the reserved portion is a system designed to guarantee a minimum share to certain heirs. However, in the past, the principle was to return the property its

[Published on March 18, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Controversy Over Overlap with Abuse of Authority… Strengthening Judicial Account-ability Concerns Over Constitutionality Remain, Calling for Cautious Future Application A recent amendment to the Korean Criminal Act introducing the so called crime of legal distortion has passed the National Assembly and received approval from the State Council. Specifically, t

[Published on March 3, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Passed by the National Assembly; scheduled to take effect one year after promulgation Effective management and implementation will be key to ensuring its role as a safeguard of the rule of law On January 29th, the Korean National Assembly passed an amendment to the Attorney-at-Law Act that formally codifies attorney–client privilege. While Korean attorneys hav

[Published on January 20, 2026 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Even Koreans residing in the U.S. who own land in Korea may be affected Tax liability could apply, while dividends may be excluded For Koreans residing in the U.S., legislative developments in Korea may feel somewhat distant. However, if one already owns land in Korea or may come to own land through inheritance, gifts, or future investments, the situation b

[Published on December 23, 2025 edition of the "Korean Law Insights" column in the Korea Daily’s Economic Expert Section] Mobile Resident ID Introduced to Improve Convenience New Identity Verification Service for Overseas Koreans Launched For Koreans residing in the United States, traveling to Korea to handle administrative or legal matters is often not easy. In addition, many overseas Koreans are not aware of changes to systems and procedures that are easily accessible to th