* Affiliation proceeding (claim for recognition of paternity)  

Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity : This refers to a biological father or mother recognizing a child through their own will. This acknowledgment becomes legally effective through a declaratory report, and its effects are retroactive to the time of the child’s birth.

Judicial Acknowledgment of Paternity : This occurs when the effects of acknowledgment are established through a court’s judgment (or mediation), regardless of the parent’s will. This aims to legally establish a parent-child relationship between a child born out of wedlock and their father or mother, and is achieved through a judgment in a paternity recognition lawsuit.

※ For a minor child born to a South Korean father and a foreign mother, who are not in a legal marital relationship, the child can acquire South Korean nationality after being acknowledged by the South Korean parent. This is accomplished by reporting to the head of the Immigration Office or other relevant authorities.