Other Family Relations Registration Matters: Certificates, Corrections, and Establishment of a Register

Based on 12 consultation cases · Updated October 4, 2026 · Translated from the Korean original.

The issuance of certificates from the family relations register, correction or re-creation of entries, and establishment of a family relations register depend on the applicable grounds and procedures. In particular, check what information appears in general and detailed certificates, the reason a correction is needed, and the materials supporting it.

People involved → Person concerned → Spouse or lineal relative or sibling → You need a family relations certificate or a register entry corrected → Do you need a certificate? → Yes → Are you the person or an eligible relative? → No → Does the recorded name or family origin differ from the facts? → Yes — Article 14(1) → An eligible person may request a certificate → Check whether an eligible person can request it or authorize a sibling → Yes — Article 104 → You may apply to the Family Court for correction permission → Check whether there is a factual error or omission to correct → Check certificate contents → Check supporting evidence → Check exceptional re-creation grounds → Re-creation may be considered if leaving the correction is manifestly unfair and the invalidity resulted from a criminal act, with supporting materials

Key points

In addition to the person concerned, their spouse, lineal blood relatives, and siblings may request issuance of a certificate from the family relations register (Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 14(1) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제14조 제1항)).
A general certificate primarily lists essential information, including current personal-status relationships. Divorce or dissolution of an adoptive relationship may be listed in the detailed version of the relevant certificate (Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 15 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제15조)).
A name or family origin recorded in the register that differs from the facts may be corrected by applying for permission from the Family Court having jurisdiction over the registered domicile (Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 104 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제104조)).
A genealogical record may serve as evidence of information concerning lineage unless there are special circumstances indicating that it was fabricated (Supreme Court Order No. 2000Seu2, dated July 4, 2000, and others).
Re-creation of a register after a correction based on the invalidity of a marriage may be at issue where leaving the correction ground unchanged would be manifestly unfair to interested parties. The case requires that the marriage’s invalidity resulted from a criminal act and that materials establishing this be submitted.
A foreign national who is an adult in Korea may act as a witness to a marriage report. Whether the witness is an adult is determined under the law of the witness’s country of nationality (Civil Act, Article 812(2) (민법 제812조 제2항); Act on Private International Law, Article 13 (국제사법 제13조)).
A change in personal status occurring abroad may be difficult to reflect in a Korean spouse’s register through an ordinary report, but in exceptional cases, an application for court permission to correct the register may be considered.
Establishing a register for North Korean defectors or people omitted during the re-creation of a former family register or family relations register is subject to separate criteria and procedures from those for ordinary corrections.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Does a Family Relations Certificate show that I have been divorced?

According to the case, a Family Relations Certificate lists the person concerned, their current spouse, parents, and children, so it does not reveal the fact of a divorce. A Marriage Relations Certificate may show divorce information in its detailed version, while its general version lists current marital status.

Case 5, Case 8

Q. Can my sibling obtain my Family Relations Certificate?

The Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships recognizes the right to request issuance of certificates for the person concerned, their spouse, lineal blood relatives, and siblings. However, if the person concerned needs a sibling to obtain a certificate on their behalf, they may authorize the sibling to do so. The case also addresses who may obtain certificates and issues concerning the protection of personal information.

Case 1

Q. Can I have a foreign friend act as a witness to my marriage registration?

A foreign national may act as a witness if they are an adult in Korea and are not one of the parties to the marriage. Whether a foreign witness is an adult is determined under the law of the witness’s country of nationality at the time the marriage is reported. The case explains that it is appropriate to enter the witness’s name, date of birth, and nationality on the report.

Case 6

Q. How can I correct an incorrectly recorded parent’s name or my family origin in the family relations register?

If an entry in the family relations register is inconsistent with the facts because of an error or omission, an application for correction may be filed with permission from the Family Court having jurisdiction over the person’s registered domicile. For a correction to a person’s family origin, the court considers the submitted materials and decides whether to grant permission. A genealogical record may also serve as evidence supporting lineage, unless there are special circumstances indicating that it was fabricated.

Case 3, Case 12

Q. If my foreign spouse changes their family name abroad, will my Korean family relations register be changed immediately?

The case explains that a change of family name resulting from the dissolution of an adoptive relationship abroad is not treated as a personal-status matter that can be reported to a Korean registration office, so it is difficult to have the change immediately reflected in the Korean spouse’s register. However, in exceptional circumstances where the change cannot be reflected through an ordinary report, an application for permission to correct the register may be considered. The court decides whether to grant permission after reviewing the materials.

Case 4

Q. Can a family relations register corrected because a marriage was invalidated be re-created?

The case identifies as a ground for re-creating the register a situation in which the cause of the marriage’s invalidity was a criminal act by one of the parties or a third party. It requires materials establishing the judgment declaring the marriage invalid and the criminal act. The case explains that if an application for re-creation is denied, the decision cannot be challenged through the appeal procedures under the Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships. The requirements and supporting materials should therefore be checked before applying.

Case 2

Q. How do North Korean defectors establish a family relations register?

According to the case, an application is made for permission to establish a family relations register, with the Minister of Unification named as the applicant and the person eligible for protection listed as the subject of the case. The registration method may differ depending on whether the person eligible for protection is alone or is protected together with family members. Information related to a spouse residing in North Korea is also recorded.

Case 9, Case 10

Q. Can a person who was left out when a family relations register was re-created have a register established?

The case explains that a person must establish a family relations register if records related to the old family register or family relations register were lost, for example in a fire, and the person was omitted during re-creation after failing to report within the prescribed period despite receiving notice to do so. Separate establishment criteria also apply to people whose former family register listed a place of family registration north of the Military Demarcation Line. A register cannot be established for a deceased person.

Case 7, Case 11

Relevant laws

Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 9 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제9조)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 11(2) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제11조 제2항)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 14(1) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제14조 제1항)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 15(1), (3), and (4) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제15조 제1항·제3항·제4항)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 18 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제18조)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 28 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제28조)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 61(1) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제61조 제1호)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 71(1) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제71조 제1호)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 104 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제104조)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 107 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제107조)
Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 109 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 법률 제109조)
Rules on the Registration of Family Relationships, Article 4 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 규칙 제4조)
Rules on the Registration of Family Relationships, Article 17(2)(3) (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 규칙 제17조 제2항 제3호)
Rules on the Registration of Family Relationships, Article 54 (가족관계의 등록 등에 관한 규칙 제54조)
Civil Act, Article 812(2) (민법 제812조 제2항)

Watch out for

Even certificates of the same type may contain different information in their general and detailed versions, so check which version the recipient requires.
Correction of a register is a procedure for rectifying an error or omission in an existing entry; a change in personal status occurring later may not, in principle, be grounds for correction.
The court decides whether to grant permission for a correction or re-creation after reviewing the application and supporting materials. Submitting materials such as a genealogical record does not guarantee a particular outcome.
North Korean defectors, people connected to areas north of the Military Demarcation Line, and people omitted during re-creation should check the separate procedures and requirements for establishing a register described in the relevant cases.

Source cases

This guide was compiled by AI from the following Korea Legal Aid Corporation consultation cases (in Korean).

This guide is general legal information about Korean law, not legal advice for your situation. For a specific case, consult a lawyer or the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (call 132 in Korea).