Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-cheol (middle), Korea National Police Agency Commissioner-General Kim Chang Yong (left) and college aspirant Bang Jin-sol display their mobile driver's licenses after getting them issued.

By Min Yea-Ji and Lee Jihae
Photos = Ministry of Interior and Safety

The introduction of an online driver's license stored in a smartphone instead of a wallet or purse has marked the dawn of the mobile ID era.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korean National Police Agency on Jan. 27 launched pilot issuance of the mobile driver's license that is as legally binding as its plastic counterpart. The trial will last six months before the nationwide introduction of the online license in July.

A person with a mobile driver's license no longer needs to carry the plastic one and the digital license can also be conveniently used online. It can also prevent leaks of personal information as it merely provides data sought by a third party like driver qualifications when someone seeks to rent a car and age verification when buying cigarettes or alcohol.

Anyone with a driver's license or who plans to get a new one is eligible for the mobile license. Foreign nationals can also receive one if they have a residence card, driver's license and confirmation of their identity via smartphone after registering with a domestic mobile phone service provider.

Anyone may get the mobile license on a single smartphone only registered in his or her name. When first getting the license, he or she must visit either the ID authentication section of a license test site or the civil service center of a police station to confirm identity.

The ministry pledged to ensure safety by applying security technologies such as blockchain and encoding. If a mobile license bearer reports the loss or theft of his or her smartphone, the license is immediately locked. Even without such a report, a password or biometrics authentication is required to access the license.

A mobile license is valid for three years. Replacement of a smartphone requires reissuance of the license.

The ministry will expand the types of mobile IDs starting with a driver's license, and eventually issue such IDs to identify people of national merit, the disabled, youth and foreign residents.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-cheol said at the opening ceremony for the mobile license at a license test site in western Seoul, "Usable both on- and offline, the mobile driver's license is a safe, convenient and revolutionary way to authenticate a person's ID that holds high significance in opening the mobile ID era."

Trial issuance of the mobile driver's license for storage in a smartphone was launched on Jan. 27.