South Korea's three major mobile carriers and their MVNO partners began enforcing stricter identity checks on Monday for anyone opening a new subscription or porting a number, a shift regulators say is necessary now that a handset line doubles as a wallet key and government login.
Three verification paths at signup
Customers must now prove identity using facial recognition, a mobile ID issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, or a resident registration certificate issued the same day. The rules apply to new activations and carrier transfers, not simple handset upgrades on an existing account.
Authorities argue conventional document checks no longer keep pace with forged papers used to register lines later tied to voice phishing and illegal payment apps. The Korea Media and Communications Commission, renamed from the Korea Communications Commission on October 1, 2025, oversees carriers designated as identity-verification agencies alongside the PASS authentication app ecosystem.
Foreign residents and prepaid gaps
Trial deployments reportedly produced facial-recognition errors for some foreign-national documents, forcing staff to fall back to manual review. The government plans digital integration so alien registration cards work with face-match systems in the second half of this year, with passport-based facial verification for short-term visitors expected later.
Downstream effects for apps
Tighter signup screening does not by itself fix prepaid limitations that block Naver Pay, Kakao Pay or domestic ticketing sites for tourists. Long-stay residents still need postpaid contracts registered in their own names with alien registration numbers to pass PASS checks used by banks and delivery platforms.
For Seoul commuters, the practical test arrives at carrier shops during the October holiday travel rush, when families add secondary lines for children or elderly relatives. Staff trained on the three verification methods should expect longer counter times until facial systems stabilize across document types.
MVNO brands must follow the same rules as flagship carriers, meaning budget plans sold online still require in-person verification when customers port numbers from rivals.
MVNO brands must follow the same rules as flagship carriers, meaning budget plans sold online still require in-person verification when customers port numbers from rivals.
Retail staff say the mobile ID path is fastest for younger customers already enrolled in government digital wallets, while elderly subscribers still prefer same-day paper certificates printed at community centers.