Korean couple become citizens

Dunedin solicitor Alistair Paterson performed his first naturalisation ceremony for Kil Hyan Ji and his wife Kil Za Lee in his Dunedin office yesterday. Photo by Linda Robertson.

A Korean couple who met during the Korean War became New Zealand citizens in Dunedin yesterday and are looking forward to a retirement in Dunedin of golf, gardening and watching their grandchildren grow.

Kil Hyan Ji (80) met his future wife Kil Za Lee (78) in the early 1950s, while both were serving in the South Korea military. The couple have been married for 60 years. They moved from Seoul to Dunedin 10 years ago, to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren, who had moved six years earlier.

The couple became New Zealand citizens yesterday afternoon, wearing traditional Korean dress, in a short ceremony conducted by Dunedin solicitor Alistair Paterson.

At the ceremony were their granddaughters Hyan Ju Ji (22) and So Young Ji (19) and son-in-law Sean Yoo (60).

Mrs Lee kept busy gardening and swimming at Moana Pool and Mr Ji played golf most days at St Clair Golf Club, working on his 25 handicap.

Mr Paterson said it was the first citizenship ceremony he had performed.