Key facts
- South Korea will begin using facial recognition for new mobile phone registrations starting next month.
- The measure aims to strengthen identity verification and prevent mobile identity theft.
- Facial recognition will be an optional method, alongside other government-approved identification.
- Raw facial images will be discarded immediately after the verification process.
- The government intends to revise laws by October to provide a legal foundation for these services.
South Korea is set to introduce facial recognition technology for the registration of new mobile phones starting next month, as announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to bolster identity verification processes and combat illicit activities such as mobile identity theft.
The government stated that customers registering a new mobile phone number will have the option to use facial recognition or other government-sanctioned identification methods, like resident registration certificates. The decision to make facial recognition optional was made in response to concerns about potential infringements on basic rights. The ministry assured that raw facial images would be promptly deleted after the verification is complete to mitigate the risk of data breaches.
This move follows a previous announcement last year to make face recognition mandatory, which had raised public apprehension due to a series of data breaches involving local mobile carriers. Data protection and human rights authorities had previously noted the lack of a sufficient legal basis for such a mandate and its potential to infringe on fundamental rights. The government aims to expand identity verification options and establish a legal framework for facial recognition services by revising relevant laws by October.