In the past six years, the number of the Korean youths in New York who have given up Korean citizenship has passed seven hundred, and continues to grow, despite the South Korean government's efforts to support dual citizenship. However, dual citizenship is still a work in progress, and the complications surrounding it are producing a paradox; exactly those Koreans—second generation youth—who need to understand their roots and heritage, and establish their identity as Koreans, are giving up citizenship.

According to the NY Korean consulate's report from August 10 of this year, a total of 4,066 people in the NY Korean community have given up Korean citizenship in the five year period from January 2005 to August 2010. Among them, 720 Korean youth renounced their nationality—almost 18 percent of the total number.

The consulate's research showed the following statistics for Korean youth giving up citizenship: 296 in 2005, 112 in 2006, 113 in 2007, 65 in 2008, 74 in 2009, and 60 in 2010, to date. Most of them are teenagers under 18, born in America, who were automatically granted American citizenship. At the same time, they also automatically received Korean citizenship, and were listed in their Korean family registers--the "Hojok."

A consulate staff member explained, "Even if Korean national law has been revised to allow dual citizenship, especially for second generation Koreans living abroad, the obligation for conscription remains. For many youth, this is a major factor in reaching the decision to give up Korean citizenship. It's happening all the time."

Second generation Korean males must give up their citizenship before turning 18 if they want to avoid the draft. Otherwise, if they should visit Korea for a stay, they may—or will—find themselves inducted into military service. The Korean government's attempts to "sweeten" dual citizenship—with special benefits for "elite" second generation Korean youth abroad—including voting rights—still do not change many youths' reactions to mandatory military service. Observers in the Korean community in America note that unless the government does something to address this specific problem, the situation will become increasingly paradoxical: second generation Koreans will continue to receive their "identity lessons" as descendants of Koreans, while at the same time, losing their nationality.

This situation is directly mirrored in the number of applications for dual citizenship received at the NY consulate; since May of this year, only three people have applied.