Sale of Lost and Directly Purchased IDs
Choose by Appearance of ID Photos
Affordable Prices to Prevent ID Forgery
"These are not fake; they are all real resident registration cards."
When I expressed my intention to purchase to an ID card seller contacted online, photos of about 50 women were sent. They were all photos taken by gathering the ID card photos from resident registration cards. The faces in the photos showed various appearances, from long hair to faces wearing glasses. When I asked the seller about the price, the reply was, "Choose the face you want and suggest the price first."
On the 7th, when an inquiry about purchasing a physical ID card was sent to a vendor, about 50 images of photographed resident registration cards were sent. Each of the 50 images had a birth year written on it. Photo by Lee Ji-eun
Recently, crimes targeting minors by selling other people's ID cards have been rampant. Previously, the method of requesting the production of forged ID cards was prevalent, but as the preference declined due to high costs, selling lost or directly purchased ID cards seems to be becoming common.
On the 8th, when searching for 'Yeo-jjeung' and 'Nam-jjeung' on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter), posts selling real ID cards were continuously exposed. Yeo-jjeung and Nam-jjeung are slang terms referring to female and male ID cards, respectively. The sales posts included phrases describing the appearance in the ID card photos, such as "long hair, cat-like eyes." Some sellers guided the purchase method by saying, "If you express your intention to buy via messenger, we will show you the ID card photo," and "You can choose the face that resembles you the most."
The resident registration cards they sell are presumed to be lost real ID cards, not forgeries. This means they can also be used for financial transactions and hospital visits. In fact, when asked a real ID card seller on that day, "Can it be used at government offices, etc.?" the reply was, "Since it is not a forged ID card, it can be recognized." However, regarding the CyPass device, which compares the fingerprint on the ID card with the person's fingerprint to verify authenticity, they explained, "It cannot be used due to fingerprint mismatch."
Some sellers buy other people's ID cards at very low prices and resell them. When searching for ID card purchase on X, posts stating "We buy or sell ID cards of those born between 2004 and 2006" appeared. About ten comments expressing willingness to sell were posted on a message where the seller asked, "Please provide the ID card photo and price."
On the 7th, a post selling resident registration cards was posted on the social networking service X. Photo by Lee Ji-eun
The main customers of sellers who sell large quantities of real ID cards are minors. When requesting the forgery of an ID card using one's own photo, the price ranges from 200,000 to 300,000 KRW, but purchasing a real ID card costs only a little over 100,000 KRW. Sometimes, real ID cards are sold for less than 100,000 KRW as a quick sale item. This means ID card misuse is possible at a lower cost than forgery.
ID cards that fall into the hands of minors in this way are used to buy cigarettes or enter bars and lodging establishments. Some sellers post purchase reviews on SNS, such as "I succeeded in buying cigarettes with someone else's ID card," and "I was able to freely use convenience stores and bars." They also add hashtags like 'alcohol,' 'cigarettes,' and 'motel' to try to expose posts to minors.
Experts advise that crimes involving ID card misuse targeting minors should be actively cracked down on. Cases of minors being caught for forging or using ID cards have been steadily increasing recently. According to the National Police Agency, the number of suspects under 19 years old involved in 'document and seal crimes' nearly doubled from 656 in 2021 to 875 in 2022, and 1,229 in 2023.
Professor Yoon Ho Lee of Dongguk University's Department of Police Administration emphasized, "Resident registration card misuse is a serious crime that goes beyond simple ID swapping and can lead to obstruction of justice," adding, "Along with preemptive crackdowns on sellers, the judiciary should respond firmly rather than giving light sentences just because the buyer is a first-time offender or a minor."
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