Korea begins trial of mandatory face recognition for new mobile numbers

Korea on Tuesday launched a trial period for a new policy requiring people to undergo real-time face recognition when registering a new mobile phone number, as the government aims to curb scam attempts using illegally registered accounts.

A phone store with the logos of Korea's three mobile carriers, SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, is seen in Seoul on Sept. 11. [YONHAP]

Korea on Tuesday launched a trial period for a new policy requiring people to undergo real-time face recognition when registering a new mobile phone number, as the government aims to curb scam attempts using illegally registered accounts.

The Ministry of Science and ICT began piloting a system Tuesday that mandates facial authentication in the mobile phone subscription process through 64 non-face-to-face channels of 43 mobile carriers and the face-to-face channels of the three major mobile carriers.

The country's three mobile carriers — SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ — along with mobile virtual network operators, will be required to follow the procedure in both in-person and remote settings under the new policy.

Facial authentication is designed to prevent identity theft and the use of fake phone subscriptions through real-time biometric verification, comparing the ID photo with the recipient's actual face.

The official launch of the new policy is scheduled for March 23, 2026. During the pilot period, exceptions will be made for account activation even if facial authentication fails. Over the next three months, cases such as authentication failures will be analyzed to improve the accuracy of the solution.

Operational expertise from distributors and retailers will also be collected during the pilot period, allowing for the official launch of the system.

Students look into their smartphones at a school in Seoul on Nov. 4, 2024. [YONHAP]

Under the policy, applicants are required to scan their faces using PASS, an identification app developed by the three mobile carriers and widely used by public organizations.

Amid concerns over the collection of biometric information, the government said the process only verifies whether applicants' actual faces match the photos on their identification cards and that the data will not be stored.

The government also plans to revise relevant laws to require mobile carriers to notify users of risks of becoming involved in crimes linked to illegally registered phones and also require them to oversee new subscriptions to prevent any fraudulent activities by their retailers.

“If mobile users use an old ID card, facial recognition may not work smoothly,” said a Science Ministry official. “During the three-month pilot operation period, we plan to check for problems such as user inconveniences and delays in opening.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON, Yonhap [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]