On September 9, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled against an individual, Lee, who sought to change the Romanized spelling of her name on her passport from 'LEE' to 'YI,' citing personal preference. The court stated that while individuals may have their own choices regarding name spellings, such changes could cause complications in immigration processes for South Korean citizens. Additionally, the Department of Foreign Affairs had denied Lee's request, explaining that her case did not meet the criteria outlined in the Passport Act's enforcement ordinance for name changes.

The case arose after Lee had initially applied for her passport with the Romanized spelling 'YI,' which was rejected, leading to the issuance of a passport with 'LEE.' Lee argued in court that she has consistently used 'YI' since high school, in credit card applications, and English proficiency tests, and therefore desired this change on her passport. However, the court found no evidence of practical inconvenience in her daily life that warranted changing her name as per her request.

The ruling has implications for how the South Korean legal system interprets name changes on official documents, emphasizing that personal preference alone is insufficient for making such requests. The court noted that allowing unrestricted changes would complicate immigration control and passport management for South Korean nationals, reinforcing that changes should only be made when there is significant practical need for them.