Mobile resident registration cards introduced after 56 years

[Anchor]

On Jan. 21, 1968, the so-called 'Kim Shin-jo Incident' raised the need to identify spies, leading the government to introduce the first national identification card, the 'Resident Registration Card.'

The Resident Registration Card, which was first issued to President Park Chung-hee and his wife, was a vertical paper ID card.

Although it was coated with a plastic film, there were constant concerns about the risk of damage or forgery.

Therefore, starting in 1999, plastic Resident Registration Cards were issued, and in 2000, a hologram was attached to prevent forgery.

After 56 years of various changes since its introduction, the Resident Registration Card will be available on mobile phones starting tomorrow (12.27).

How can one obtain a mobile Resident Registration Card? Reporter Park Min-kyung will explain.

[Report]

The local community center is busy preparing for the issuance of mobile Resident Registration Cards.

Due to the difficulties of forgetting one's wallet, the demand for mobile identification is on the rise.

[Yang Seong-ja/ Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province: "When I revisited the hospital, they said they needed my ID because it had been about six months since my last visit. So I couldn't see the doctor..."]

Starting tomorrow, any citizen aged 17 and older registered in nine local governments across the country, including Goyang and Sejong in Gyeonggi Province, can receive a mobile Resident Registration Card as part of a pilot program.

You can pay 10,000 won at the community center to receive an IC Resident Registration Card, which can then be recognized by your mobile phone, or you can use a disposable QR code issued by the community center.

The mobile driver's license, which started being issued in 2022, has also settled in with over 4 million users.

However, there are still many voices expressing concerns about security issues.

[Kim Won-sook/ Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province: "I often drop my phone, and with the recent hacking issues and various other concerns, I feel a bit uneasy, so I prefer the analog version."]

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that the mobile Resident Registration Card incorporates blockchain and encryption technology to ensure a high level of security, and that it can be locked in case of loss, reducing the risk of information leakage.

[Jo Won-gap/ Director of Digital Security Policy, Ministry of the Interior and Safety: "Unlike physical Resident Registration Cards, it requires a thorough identity verification process through facial recognition, making fraudulent use impossible."]

The ministry plans to expand the pilot issuance process nationwide in the first quarter of next year after checking for system errors.

KBS News, Park Min-kyung.