Korean government completes rollout of digital ID cards

All citizens and foreign residents of South Korea are now able to add a digital version of their government-issued resident registration card to their mobile phone and use it as an official replacement for their physical identity card.

The country’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been gradually rolling out availability of the service in several stages and has now completed nationwide availability with a final stage of rollout to residents of Seoul, Busan and Gwangju.

“The debut of mobile resident registration cards allows users to store and use digital ID on their smartphones,” the ministry explained in a joint news announcement with the Presidential Digital Platform Government Committee.

“People can get the high-tech ID either by touching their smartphones to their resident registration cards embedded with an integrated chip or scanning the QR code at a community center.

“The digital card holds the same validity as its plastic counterpart but boasts cutting-edge security technology such as blockchain and encryption to enhance security.

“A user is limited to one mobile ID on one smartphone in his or her name, and biometric verification is required to prevent identity theft. A user can immediately call his or her telecommunication service provider to terminate the digital ID in case of a lost smartphone.”

So far, fifteen banks are equipped to accept mobile ID cards as proof of identity for customers opening new bank accounts or changing their password, Korea JoongAng Daily reports.

As well as being able to access a digital ID via a government-provided app, “mobile ID cards are expected to be accessible through Samsung Wallet from next month,” the news publication adds.

Korean government completes rollout of digital ID cards was written by Sarah Clark and published by NFCW.