DPRK-affiliated or non-aligned "Zainichi" do not actively claim ROK nationality and are treated by the Japanese government as if they were stateless, holding a unique "Chōsen-seki" designation as an alternative. Although they are considered to already possess ROK nationality, their refusal to exercise that status hinders their ability to travel to South Korea. "Chōsen-seki" may request permission to enter the ROK with certificates of travel that are issued by South Korean diplomatic missions at their discretion, but these have been increasingly difficult to obtain since 2009.