The Korea Herald

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Multiple citizenship holders banned from becoming judges, prosecutors

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Published : Oct. 19, 2011 - 15:01

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SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- Multiple citizenship holders will be barred from joining courts or prosecutors' offices here as part of the government's efforts to better protect national security, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday.

Under the legal revision drafted by the ministry earlier this week, multiple citizenship holders must give up their foreign nationality to become judges, prosecutors, or officials of local courts or prosecutors' offices.

"It is inappropriate for those foreign citizenship holders to serve as such high-profile government officials here, as their duties are often related to national security and state secrets where our national interests could conflict with those of foreign countries," a ministry official said.

The revision follows the new nationality law that took effect on Jan. 1, which allows foreign individuals to hold multiple citizenship if they vow not to exercise their rights as foreign nationals while in South Korea, but limits the fields they can work in.