Bill introduced to recognize descendants of overseas independence activists denied nationality restoration

Rep. Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]
Rep. Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]

Rep. Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday introduced a bill to amend the Act on the Honorable Treatment of Persons of Distinguished Service to Independence, aimed at preventing descendants of overseas independence activists from being excluded from recognition due to nationality issues.

Under the current system, even when an overseas independence activist's contributions are officially recognized, descendants are barred from registering as bereaved family members if the activist died without having restored South Korean citizenship.

A legal blind spot persists: even when descendants have since obtained South Korean nationality through special naturalization, the activist's own failure to recover citizenship blocks their recognition.

A prominent example is Sin Eul-no, who carried out independence activities in Hawaii in 1943. His descendant, Sin Dae-hyeon (Glenn Winkle, 71), recently learned of his maternal grandfather's independence record while applying for a Korean visa and subsequently obtained South Korean citizenship through special naturalization. He was then notified that he was ineligible to receive a certificate of bereaved family status because his grandfather had been a US citizen at the time of his death.

The proposed amendment would establish a legal basis for descendants of overseas independence activists who died without restoring South Korean citizenship to be recognized as bereaved family members under the Independence Honorable Treatment Act, provided they have since acquired South Korean nationality through the registration process.

"There are independence activists who devoted themselves to liberation yet passed away unable to reclaim their citizenship due to the circumstances of their era," Heo said. "I will close the gaps in law and policy so that sacrifices made for the country are not excluded from recognition over a matter of nationality."


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