Sample mobile residence card (Ministry of the Interior and Safety)

By Koh Hyunjeong

The debut of mobile resident registration cards allows users to store and use digital ID on their smartphones.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government on March 13 announced the expanded issuance of the cards nationwide from March 14.

Application for the card is available at a community center of a local government having jurisdiction over a user's registered address. From March 28, any such center nationwide and the web portal Gov.kr can accept applications regardless of address.

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.

hjkoh@korea.kr