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South Korea Considers Scrapping Mobile ID Service Amid AI Forgery Fears

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • The South Korean government is considering abolishing the mobile ID verification service due to concerns about AI-driven forgery.
  • The service, launched in 2022, allows users to display their resident registration card information on their smartphones for identity verification.
  • The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is weighing the risks of forgery against user convenience, with a decision expected by year-end.

South Korea's government is contemplating the discontinuation of its mobile resident registration card verification service, citing the increasing threat of sophisticated forgeries enabled by artificial intelligence. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is reviewing the service's future, with a decision anticipated by the end of the year.

Compared to the mobile resident registration card, the mobile verification service indeed has security limitations.

— Ministry OfficialAcknowledging the security concerns surrounding the mobile ID verification service.

Introduced in July 2022, the mobile verification service allows individuals to prove their identity by displaying their resident registration information, including photos and personal details, on their smartphone screens. A QR code on the display is intended to verify the authenticity of the information. This system has been used for age verification for purchasing tobacco and alcohol, as well as for identity checks during airport boarding procedures.

However, concerns have mounted as AI technology makes it easier to create fake applications that mimic the official service. While a separate, legally recognized "mobile resident registration card" utilizing blockchain technology exists and holds the same legal weight as a physical card, the verification service is considered a supplementary tool with limitations in security.

We are fundamentally reviewing whether to maintain the service, considering both the possibility of forgery and user convenience.

— Ministry OfficialExplaining the government's process for deciding the future of the verification service.

Officials acknowledge the security vulnerabilities compared to the official mobile ID. "Compared to the mobile resident registration card, the mobile verification service indeed has security limitations," stated a ministry official. "We are fundamentally reviewing whether to maintain the service, considering both the possibility of forgery and user convenience." The ministry is also exploring alternative measures should the service be abolished, acknowledging that approximately 8.7 million people currently use it.

We will reach a conclusion by the end of the year regarding whether to abolish the service and alternative measures.

— Ministry OfficialIndicating the timeline for a decision on the mobile verification service.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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