Local Government Officials to Receive 'Mobile Official ID Cards'

Gradual Issuance of Mobile Employee IDs to 227 Local Governments

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Following central government ministries, local government officials will also be able to use mobile government ID cards.

On the 28th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that starting from the 29th, mobile government ID cards will be issued to 227 local governments that requested the introduction of mobile government ID cards.

The mobile government ID card, which is digitized and stored on an individual's smartphone, holds the same validity as the existing plastic government ID card. When required to present an ID during official duties, officials can prove their status with the mobile government ID card, which can also be used for access to government buildings and smart work centers.

Additionally, unlike plastic government ID cards, the mobile government ID card can be used online for identity verification purposes. Even without an administrative electronic signature (GPKI), it allows simple access (login) to work systems such as the integrated official email and government remote work service (GVPN).

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to actively support local governments to smoothly issue mobile government ID cards and utilize them in various fields. Starting with the issuance of mobile government ID cards in Busan Metropolitan City and 17 other cities, counties, and districts on the 29th, the program will be gradually expanded to 227 local governments by January 2023. Support will be provided for improving local government access control systems for building entry and introducing work system access functions.

Meanwhile, central government ministries that first introduced mobile government ID cards are using them for access to four major government buildings, work portals, and 25 work systems. By the end of this year, issuance of mobile government ID cards for public officials and fixed-term workers will be promoted for 14 central government ministries.

Hwang Gyu-cheol, Director of Public AI Policy, stated, “We expect that the expansion of mobile government ID cards to local governments will further accelerate innovative changes in the work environment of local governments,” and added, “We will spare no effort to support local governments in utilizing mobile government ID cards across various work services.”