A facial recognition procedure will be introduced from June 6 when activating a new mobile phone or changing carriers. However, if facial recognition proves difficult, users can be verified through alternative methods such as a mobile ID or a resident registration abstract issued on the same day.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced the "Comprehensive Measures to Prevent Mobile Phone Misuse" containing these details on Friday. The measures are a follow-up to the government-wide voice phishing eradication plan that has been in effect since last year. As mobile phones have become a key tool for financial transactions and identity verification beyond mere communication, the move aims to preemptively block identity theft and the activation of illegal phones.
The core of these measures is strengthening identity verification at the phone activation stage. From June 6, MSIT will phase in facial recognition across all in-person and non-face-to-face channels of the three major carriers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). New activations and number portability are the first targets for application. Simple device changes within the same carrier are excluded from the initial application, given that verification has already been completed once.
However, reflecting recommendations for improvement from the Personal Information Protection Commission and the National Human Rights Commission, alternative verification methods will also be provided. Smartphone owners can use the mobile ID app authentication provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. For those who do not have a smartphone, are activating a phone for the first time, or have lost their device and find app authentication difficult, identity can be verified through a resident registration abstract issued on the same day.
During the phased implementation period, exception procedures will be put in place to reduce user inconvenience. Those who choose facial recognition must attempt verification a minimum of once and up to three times. Even if verification fails, activation will be allowed if certain requirements are met, such as identity being confirmed through other means and the process being recorded.
MSIT will review measures in August to improve the convenience of alternative methods, referencing the financial sector's non-face-to-face identity verification methods. In September, it plans to automatically link verification of whether resident registration abstracts have been forged or altered to the identity verification process, and in October, it will clarify the legal basis for facial recognition through a revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act. From November, the "subscription restriction service," which users previously had to apply for directly, will be provided by default when signing a mobile phone contract. The subscription restriction service is a system that prevents unwanted additional activations under one's own name.
Requirements for foreign nationals to activate mobile phones will also be tightened. In cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, MSIT plans to upgrade the system for verifying the authenticity of foreign nationals' ID cards and tighten requirements so that foreigners can, in principle, activate only one line per person. If additional lines are needed, separate justification will be required.
The activation of illegal phones through name-lending arrangements will also be blocked. From October, carriers will be required to inform users in advance of the illegality of illegal phones and the possibility of punishment when activating a phone, and activation will be restricted for high-risk groups who activate multiple expensive devices on installment plans within a short period. The plan also addresses the misuse of corporate phones. To prevent cases where corporate phones are activated using forged or altered documents such as business registration certificates, or where lines under a corporate name are used by third parties who are not actual employees, the cross-verification system for corporate registration information will be strengthened. For some corporate phones of businesses with high default rates, an actual-user registration system will be operated, and a multi-line total volume system will be introduced that, in principle, limits corporate lines to four within 180 days.
