PASS Mobile Driver's License Now Allows Verification of Resident Registration Number

Display of Resident Registration Number Back Digits on Mobile
Same Effect as Physical Driver's License
Ministry of Science and ICT "Will Enhance Convenience for Citizens"

The mobile driver's license will be able to replace physical identification cards. Until now, it was impossible to fully verify identity with the mobile version because the back digits of the resident registration number on the driver's license could not be viewed. However, with the ability to check the back digits, it now holds the same legal effect as a physical driver's license.

A citizen is having their ID checked. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 7th, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Digital Platform Government Committee (Digital Platform Committee) announced that the 'Mobile Driver's License Verification Service' provided through the 'PASS' app by the three mobile carriers (SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus) now allows verification of the back digits of the resident registration number.

The Mobile Driver's License Verification Service was recognized as having the same legal effect as a physical driver's license through temporary approval under the ICT Regulatory Sandbox. However, even when registering a photo of the driver's license, the back digits of the resident registration number were obscured, limiting its ability to fully replace an ID card.

Originally, the Mobile Driver's License Verification Service only allowed verification of the 'QR code' that confirms the date of birth and authenticity. Without the back digits of the resident registration number, if there was no device to scan the QR code, it was impossible to verify the authenticity of the license.

In response, the Digital Platform Committee discussed the policy direction for mobile IDs through hackathons and meetings with related ministries, proposing that the resident registration number be displayed in the Mobile Driver's License Verification Service. Subsequently, the Ministry of Science and ICT's '30th ICT Regulatory Sandbox New Technology and Service Review Committee' approved a change in the business plan to display the entire resident registration number in the Mobile Driver's License Verification Service.

Currently, the three mobile carriers have completed displaying the back digits of the resident registration number in the PASS mobile driver's license verification service. To protect personal information and enhance user convenience, whether to display the back digits of the resident registration number is left to the user's choice.

The Ministry of Science and ICT expects that approximately 5.5 million users of the Mobile Driver's License Verification Service will be able to prove their identity through mobile devices in various fields such as finance, public services, and healthcare, thereby improving convenience in daily life. With the display of the resident registration number, users can easily verify their identity with their phones even without a wallet.

Song Sang-hoon, Director of Information and Communication Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “We will actively support the swift launch of services that enhance the convenience of citizens' daily lives, like this Mobile Driver's License Verification Service, through the ICT Regulatory Sandbox, and ensure that the relevant laws are promptly revised so these services can firmly establish themselves in the market.”

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