Resident registration cards to be issued digitally

South Koreans aged 17 and older will soon be able to store their national ID cards on their smartphones, marking a significant shift from the traditional paper-based system introduced in 1968.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Thursday that it will begin pilot issuance of digital resident registration cards starting Friday. This initiative marks the fourth addition to South Korea's suite of mobile identification options, which already includes digital driver’s licenses, veterans’ ID cards, and identification cards for overseas nationals.

All citizens holding a physical resident registration card are eligible to apply. The pilot program will be launched in nine regions: Sejong City, Hongcheon County in Gangwon Province, Goyang City in Gyeonggi Province, Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province, Seo-gu District in Daejeon, Gunwi County in Daegu, Ulju County in Ulsan, Yeosu City, and Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province. The ministry aims to assess the system's stability before expanding the program nationwide by March next year.

Residents in the pilot areas can apply for mobile ID by visiting their local administrative office to receive an IC-enabled resident registration card, which replaces the traditional physical card. They can then use their smartphone to scan the IC card or a QR code to activate the digital ID. The new IC-enabled resident registration card resembles the current design but includes an embedded IC chip, enabling smartphone compatibility.


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