Introduction of 'Mobile Gongmuwonjeung' Starting Late This Year

Expansion Planned with Welfare Card in 2021 and Driver's License in 2022

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Personnel Management announced on the 20th that they will launch the 'Mobile Public Official ID Card Introduction Project' to resolve the inconvenience of carrying public official ID cards and support a work environment suitable for the digital convergence era.

As part of the digital government innovation promotion plan announced on October 28 last year, central government officials will be able to receive a mobile public official ID card on their smartphones from the end of this year when the project is completed, and use it alongside the existing IC card-type public official ID cards.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to verify the convenience and security of mobile identification cards for public official ID cards this year, then expand the issuance scope to disability registration cards (welfare cards) in 2021 and driver's licenses in 2022.

The mobile public official ID card will be issued as an integrated identification card usable both offline and online. Like the existing plastic public official ID card, it can be used as an access card to enter government buildings such as the Government Complex Sejong and Seoul offices, and can also be used as an authentication method to access work systems and enter smart work centers.

Considering that the work and living spaces of central government officials are concentrated in Sejong City, plans are underway to enable the use of the mobile public official ID card in daily life as well, such as for Seoul and Sejong City shared bicycle rental services and library book loans.

Since the mobile public official ID card is implemented in the form of a digital ID, it can also be used online. Officials can log in to frequently used electronic approval systems, official email, and BaroTalk using the mobile public official ID card instead of administrative electronic signatures (GPKI), and the range of available services will be gradually expanded.

When the mobile public official ID card is used for logging into work systems, there is no need to carry an administrative electronic signature or enter a password, improving system usability.

Mobile identification cards issued by the government, including the mobile public official ID card, will be developed by applying the concept of Self-Sovereign Identity to address privacy concerns that may arise during the use of identification cards. This concept contrasts with the currently widely used centralized identity verification system, granting ownership and usage rights of identity information to the individual identity subject.

Owners of mobile identification cards receive and store their ID (identity information) on their smartphones and decide whether to provide it upon identity verification requests based on their own judgment. Usage history of the ID is stored only on the individual's smartphone and not on a central server, allowing only the owner to verify it. The government is expected to maintain the credibility of ID issuance while not intervening in personal usage and verification processes, thereby alleviating concerns such as privacy infringement.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to widely collect external opinions and reflect them in the project, as the mobile public official ID card project is a pilot project aimed at becoming a universal ID card. In particular, since security is crucial for mobile identification cards to be used in citizens' daily lives, during the pilot project period, they will collaborate with smartphone manufacturers, the National Security Research Institute, and the Information Security Society to establish security measures that meet the latest technologies.

Yoon Jong-in, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "The mobile identification card is an innovative service that changes the existing paradigm of identity verification 180 degrees in conceptual (strengthening self-sovereignty), technical (applying DID technology), formal (digital ID), and practical (online and offline integration) aspects," adding, "I hope the introduction of mobile identification cards will not only revitalize the domestic digital ecosystem but also serve as an opportunity to lead international standards in the DID technology field."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.