According to this Wall Street Journal article, Korean immigrants are flocking to Army recruiting centers to enlist, taking advantage of a pilot program offering a shortcut to getting U.S. citizenship: A Korean Invasion Blindsides the U.S. Army -- but in a Good Way.
The program was authorized last year to attract temporary immigrants who speak strategically important languages such as Arabic, Farsi and Korean. The bait: The soldiers could immediately apply for U.S. citizenship, skipping the sometimes decadelong process of securing a green card first.
Koreans apparently form the largest group among the 8,000 applicants for the program, and the Army doesn't really need them all. But you can't blame them for trying. With the path to U.S. citizenship getting increasingly difficult (and frustrating), for Koreans (who are required two years military service back home), joining the Army seems like a relatively easy route.
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