"Only Facial Authentication Results Will Be Stored and Managed"
"Security Inspections to Be Conducted Alongside Hacking Concerns"
"Foreign Registration Cards to Be Included in the Second Half of Next Year"
As facial recognition is being piloted in the mobile phone activation process, concerns have been raised regarding the potential leakage of biometric data and inconvenience for the elderly. In response, the government clarified that "facial information is not stored; only the authentication result is retained."
On December 24, the Ministry of Science and ICT released an explanatory statement, noting that mobile carriers compare the ID card photo and the user's live facial video in real time during the facial recognition process, and only store the result of whether the person is authenticated (Y/N). The biometric data itself is neither kept nor stored. The ministry explained that once authentication is complete, all related information is immediately deleted.
Addressing growing distrust over personal data management following recent telecom hacking incidents, the ministry emphasized, "Collected personal information is managed in accordance with relevant laws, and facial recognition based on the PASS application is used solely for identity verification purposes." The government also plans to conduct security inspections in cooperation with specialized information security agencies to guard against potential data leaks.
Regarding inconvenience for digitally vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the government will strengthen in-person activation support at retail stores and sales outlets. During the pilot period, it will analyze cases of authentication failure and consider introducing alternative methods. Currently, as this is a pilot program, even if facial recognition fails, activation can proceed through exception handling.
Concerning the debate over effectiveness for foreigners, the government explained, "As this is the initial phase, the system will first apply to domestic IDs such as resident registration cards and driver's licenses," and announced plans to expand coverage to foreign registration cards by the second half of 2026. In particular, once a system for verifying the authenticity of foreign registration card photos is introduced in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, the government expects a significant improvement in blocking the use of phones under false identities.
The government will operate a three-month stabilization period until the official implementation on March 23, 2026, during which on-site response and system improvements will continue.
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