Chinese woman denied Korean citizenship because she couldn't sing the national anthem

In order to gain citizenship in South Korea, you have to be able to sing Korea's national anthem, "Aegukga".

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As pretty as the song sounds, I can imagine that singing it could definitely be a struggle. Especially for non-Koreans who are still learning how to speak the language. One of the requirements to pass Korea's citizenship exam is that you have to be able to sing the first four verses of this song during a naturalization interview--without reading the lyrics.

A 52-year-old Chinese woman identified by her surname of Choi was shocked when she failed in her application to gain Korean citizenship. She has been married to her Korean husband since 2004, and has been residing in the country ever since. She applied for citizenship in 2010, but failed when she was unable to show comprehension of free democracy, basic knowledge of the country, and because she couldn't sing the national anthem.

Ms. Choi, incredulous at the results, filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice, but the court recently ruled in the ministry's favor, saying that the criteria and evaluation was fair.

20,000 people apply to become Korean citizens annually and 60% of these applicants pass. The ministry believes that although the number of foreigners in Korea is growing, the fact that many of them don't know much about the country or language is concerning. The strict written test and interview process for citizenship are supposed to correct this problem.

Some are wondering if this is fair considering that even Korean citizens themselves are having a hard time singing the anthem.