U.S. Citizen Says the Korean Military Contacted Him. Then Realizes He Only Has 48 Hours to Pack His Bags and Flee the Country: ‘Going to Get Detained’
He was left with a difficult decision.
American-born and raised content creator Daniel Oh had spent the past seven years of his life residing in South Korea, his parents’ homeland. He seemed to be building a life in the country. But a startling message from the Korean military, supposedly eyeing him for their mandatory military service despite having U.S. citizenship, had him immediately packing his bags to flee the country.
Oh told his story in a five-part series on TikTok. He claimed the incident happened a month ago, but “did not feel safe sharing” the story at the time. According to Oh, he had received a message from the Korean government, but initially ignored it due to a Korean word he hadn’t seen before.
Only after translating the word, when he noticed that the message was addressed to him, did he realize he was being contacted by their Military Manpower Administration. He said he continued to ignore the messages, but when they began calling him, he finally got alarmed. Oh claimed he immediately sought out a visa lawyer, who explained to him that the Korean military had been “ramping up their efforts to draft” men into service due to political tensions around the globe.
Oh gives up his South Korean residency
Reportedly, Kim Jong Un shared North Korea’s commitment to continue being a nuclear-armed state as a defense against hostile forces, so South Korea’s decision to prepare its military is seemingly not without cause.
According to Oh, his lawyer advised him to leave the country within 48 hours, as he was a potential candidate for the military draft due to his Korean ancestry, and the government could issue a travel ban on his passport. Oh and his fiancée immediately cancelled their new apartment lease, packed their bags, and headed to the airport.
“We head to the airport on Sunday, holding our breath, because we don’t know if I’m going to get detained,” Oh said. He claimed that they were able to check in, but when they went through security, his passport flashed red when it was scanned.
“Excuse me, sir. You’re gonna have to wait here for a second,” security said, according to Oh. Being stopped by security supposedly left him feeling uneasy and prepared to say goodbye to his fiancée; however, it turned out to be just an issue with his luggage.
When Oh reached immigration, he allegedly relinquished his foreign residence card for a chance at a “clean exit,” despite mixed emotions after having worked hard to earn it. “I would be sad, but I’m too focused on keeping my hands from trembling,” Oh said.
Oh claimed that when they were finally out of the country, he felt “some semblance of safety.” But his fiancée allegedly received a message from their realtor, informing the couple that a letter from the military had been taped to their door.
According to Oh, he sought out a second opinion from a specialized lawyer, who explained that he was legally regarded as a dual citizen due to his parents being Korean citizens when he was born. He claimed that he missed the opportunity to renounce his citizenship as his birth wasn’t registered with the Korean government until he was 24 years old.
Oh makes his decision
Oh was allegedly warned of the risk of detainment and service if he returned to South Korea, and the possibility that he could be prosecuted for military evasion. With his “heart in his throat,” Oh said he asked his parents to contact the military.
Oh said that the military wasn’t actually trying to draft him; rather, he was being given 90 days to exit the country. He claimed he was granted an “Overseas Travel Permit,” which allowed him to stay for up to 90 days in South Korea, and that the permit extended to his parents.
According to Oh, the government had told him that he would be identified as a military evader should he stay past six months in the country. However, the issue was that his parents couldn’t leave South Korea as his mother allegedly needed the country’s healthcare to treat her chronic kidney disease.
Oh said he was left with a decision to make after he was confronted with the possibility that his mother couldn’t get the medical care she needs, or the thought of leaving his fiancée behind for 18 months. “Born and raised a U.S. citizen, I have never known myself to be anything other than that,” he said.
“How is it fair that at my age, I find out that I was born something else? Without my knowledge, without my control, without any say. It all feels so unfair,” Oh questioned. However, he claimed to have reflected on his positive life in South Korea and seemingly came to the conclusion that he was a Korean citizen in the end.
According to Oh, the government is currently reviewing his case. But if he had to, Oh said he would “face the reality head-on” and offer his services to the military. “My family and I are very anxious so we ask for your goodwill and support during this uncertain time,” he said. It is also worth taking into account that these are told from Oh’s perspective, and the story cannot be verified for its authenticity.
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