What is a Korean Basic Certificate (기본증명서), and how can I get it translated?
In Korea, there are a number of official documents used to verify someone’s identity. The Korean Basic Certificate (referred to as 기본증명서 in Korean) is one of the most common types of such documents. Sometimes it is referred to as a Korean birth certificate, but this is not fully correct. Although it can contain information regarding a person’s birth, this is far from the document’s only purpose.
When retrieving a copy of one’s Basic Certificate from a government office in Korea or abroad, it is important to note that there are two versions available. Korean Basic Certificate (General) (기본증명서 (일반)) and Korean Basic Certificate (Detailed) (기본증명서 (상세)). When this document is submitted for official purposes, it is usually the detailed version that’s required. It will contain much more comprehensive information and essentially tell the full story regarding one’s identity.
The Korean Basic Certificate contains information regarding one’s birthdate, place of birth, death, name changes (if any), parental rights, family origin, and corrections. It also contains information regarding when someone became a naturalized Korean citizen.
Family origin is a unique concept in the Republic of Korea where one’s family name (last name) can be tracked down to the original hometown where that name started. This is an old tradition, and as such, all family origins (본관 or bongwan) are written in Chinese characters on this certificate.
Depending on where you are submitting this document, the translation requirements may differ. The United States allows translations to be done by nearly anyone, as long as the translator is willing to sign an affidavit. Canada is more strict.
In Canada the translations of this certificate must be done by a certified translator. I’ve also noticed that official organizations requiring this document in Canada are much happier when the translation has been completed by a native English speaker.
Since this is such a common document, there are many translation templates already available for free on the Internet. However, the exact format and content of the Korean Basic Certificate has changed over the years. Depending on where you received the document there could be a few extra stamps, phrases, or words that don’t appear on the most common templates.
The Korean Basic Certificate is one of the most important documents submitted as part of immigration, visa, and permanent residency applications. Make sure the translator you contact is certified and that they have actually handled this type of document before.
