Telecom 3 Companies: "Easily Apply for National Support Fund with PASS Identity Verification"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus, the three major telecommunications companies, announced on the 5th that their mobile phone identity verification services can be used when applying for the COVID-19 National Support Fund.

About 88% of the population will receive 250,000 KRW per person through the 5th COVID-19 Coexistence Disaster Relief Fund, which can be applied for online starting from the 6th via local government and credit card company websites. Applicants must go through identity verification either via mobile phone authentication or a joint certificate, among which mobile phone authentication allows easy use by receiving a text verification code on their mobile phone number or through the PASS app.

The text verification method can be used easily without installing a separate app, making it accessible for digitally vulnerable groups such as elderly people who are not familiar with smartphone use. Those who already use the PASS app can complete identity verification more conveniently through biometric authentication or a 6-digit PIN number.

During the two-week pre-registration period for COVID-19 vaccinations for those aged 18 to 49 starting August 8, the number of uses of the authentication services provided by the three telecom companies exceeded 12 million.

The three telecom companies have been designated as identity verification agencies by the Korea Communications Commission since 2013 and have provided mobile phone identity verification services. Recognized for the security, stability, and accessibility of their services, they are currently applied to about 20,000 sites nationwide, allowing the majority of citizens to easily use them as an authentication method.

The three telecom companies stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure the reservation process for the National Support Fund payment proceeds smoothly, and we will continue to provide safe and convenient authentication services to contribute to enhancing public convenience."

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