March 29, 2024
Analysis

Who takes North Korean citizenship?

In a mostly homogenous country, naturalized citizens constitute special cases

When one hears the expression “naturalized citizen” one would usually think of rich countries with a massive immigration inflow – like, say, the United States or Australia. One rarely meets or speaks of naturalized citizens of Taiwan, Japan or South Korea. Needless to say, becoming a citizen of a dictatorship – like Saudi Arabia, or a poor country – like Nigeria – is often considered nonsensical. And what about becoming a citizen of a state which is both very poor and ruled by a very oppressive regime – like North Korea?

Well, it is not impossible.

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