Korea offers a special route to citizenship for foreigners with exceptional achievements in fields ranging from science and technology to business, arts and sports. Since the system was introduced in 2011, a total of 458 people have acquired Korean citizenship through special naturalization or nationality restoration for outstanding talent, according to Ministry of Justice data obtained by The Korea Times. The figure includes 203 foreigners granted special naturalization and 255 former Korean nationals whose citizenship was restored as of October this year. The number of recipients reached 62 in 2023, 54 in 2024 and 51 last year. Another 30 acquired citizenship in the first 10 months of 2026. 2 pathways Special naturalization is available to foreigners whose abilities and achievements are considered likely to benefit Korea. Nationality restoration, meanwhile, allows former Korean citizens who acquired foreign nationality to regain Korean citizenship if they meet the same outstanding-talent criteria. Unlike naturalization applicants, recipients under the outstanding-talent system can retai