South Korea has initiated a trial phase for a new policy mandating real-time face recognition for individuals registering a new mobile phone number. The country’s major mobile carriers, including SK Telecom Co., KT Corp., and LG Uplus, alongside mobile virtual network operators, must adhere to this requirement in both physical and remote settings. This policy, slated for official launch in March, necessitates applicants to use PASS, an identification app developed by the mobile carriers, to scan their faces.
The government clarified that this process solely confirms if applicants’ actual faces correspond to the photos on their ID cards, with no data retention involved. Additionally, South Korea intends to amend laws obliging mobile carriers to alert users about the risks associated with illicitly registered phones and monitor new subscriptions to prevent fraudulent activities by their retailers. Meanwhile, South Korean stocks opened higher, mirroring Wall Street’s upturn driven by a tech stock resurgence.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surged by 19.53 points, or 0.48 percent, reaching 4,125.46 within the initial 15 minutes of trading. Notably, U.S. markets sustained a bullish trend, particularly in tech shares, fostering optimism for a year-end Santa Claus rally. Samsung Electronics in Seoul saw a 0.81 percent rise, while SK hynix, its chipmaking competitor, advanced by 1.72 percent.
