Gwangju Nam-gu to Issue 'Next-Generation Electronic Passports' Starting from the 21st of Next Month

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Nam-gu, Gwangju (District Mayor Kim Byung-nae) will begin issuing next-generation electronic passports with enhanced security in the field of personal information starting from the 21st of next month.

According to Nam-gu on the 29th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently introduced next-generation electronic passports made of plastic material to strengthen the protection of citizens' identities.

In particular, for the page containing personal information, polycarbonate with durability and heat resistance was used instead of the current paper material electronic passport to enhance the latest security features. The details such as photo, name, and passport number were engraved using a laser method.

Along with this, the visa page design was improved by using various images symbolizing Korea, such as the Taegeuk pattern and cultural heritage, and the number of passport pages was increased from the existing 24 and 48 pages to 26 and 58 pages.

Accordingly, Nam-gu will issue the next-generation electronic passports.

Civil petitioners who apply for passport issuance before 6 p.m. on the 20th of next month will be issued the currently used green passport, and the green passports currently owned can be used until their expiration date.

Also, during the first half of next year, if applying for a passport with less than 5 years of validity currently in use, the issuance fee is expected to be reduced to 15,000 KRW temporarily.

A Nam-gu official stated, “The next-generation electronic passport will be a great help in responding to increasingly sophisticated forgery and alteration technologies and protecting personal information,” and added, “We will do our best to ensure that passport issuance services for residents in the district proceed without any issues.”

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