South Korea Civil Registration

How to Find the Records
The United States has had many relationships with South Korea, and many vital records exist for Americans, some being obtained from the Korean Government and others from the United States Government.

Korean Family Census Register
Korean Family Census Register (births, marriages, divorces, deaths and adoptions) may be obtained by writing the specific ward office in which the Family Census Register is filed. To facilitate locating the Family Census Register in the ward office files, the following must be provided:

Name of the head of family written in either Korean or Chinese characters; Family’s permanent address in Korea.

The family register is compiled for each family unit when the family head has established a permanent address within the jurisdiction of the ward office.

The charge is $3.00 per copy. A check or money order should be made payable to the ward office concerned.

Report and Certificate of Marriage
A certified copy of your Report and Certificate of Marriage may be obtained by writing the specific ward office in which your marriage actually took place. A certified check or money order for the marriage certificate should be made payable to the specific ward office. For your information, most Americans in Korea registered their marriages at the Citizen Affairs Section, Jongno-gu Ward Office near the American Embassy in Seoul. The address is 146-2 Soosongdong Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-701 Korea, (Tel: 82-2-731-0640).

If your marriage was registered before January 31, 1995, this copy may be obtained by writing the Citizens Secton, City Hall, 31 Taipyungro 1-ka Chungku, Seoul 100-101 Korea (Tel: 82-2-731-6439). A certified check or money order for the marriage certificate should be made payable to City Hall, Seoul, Korea.

The charge is $9.00 per copy. Be sure to include complete information on names, place, and date of marriage.

Divorce Decrees
Korean divorce decrees may be obtained by writing the Family Court in Korea where the divorce was filed. The charge is $3.00 per copy. A certified check or money order for the divorce decree should be made payable to the Family Court concerned. Be sure to include complete information on the docket number, decree date, location, and court name. The address of Seoul Family Court is 1700-1 Seocho 3-dong Seochoku Seoul, Tel: 530-2530/2461.

If the divorce decree is to be submitted to the U.S. Government, you must also provide an English translation which the Family Court will not do.

Documents that Must Be Obtained from a U.S. State
There are also on-line services that will help you obtain records for a fee. One such service is VitalChek (800-255-2414), which allows you to request birth, death, and marriage certifications online, by phone, or by fax.

Another service called usbirthcertificate.net can help you obtain or amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, in addition to obtaining a birth certificate. You must have a physical street address to use this service (no APO’s, FPO’s, or PO Boxes).

For American Citizen Services (ACS) inquiries, please e-mail us at: [mailto:seouLacs@state.gov seouLacs@state.gov].

The basic information on American Citizen Services may also be obtained by calling 02-397-4114. Our FAX number is 02-397-4101.