- South Korea adds facial recognition to SIM card registration to prevent fraudulent phone numbers
- Personal data theft has made mobile fraud cheaper and regulators want higher barriers
- Telecommunications security flaws forced the government to rethink how phone bills are approved
South Korea is taking steps to tighten the way new mobile accounts are created by adding facial recognition to the registration process.
A new position in the government (via The Registry) described how the change will reduce scams that rely on fraudulently registered phone numbers.
Under the new policy, buyers will continue to present official ID documents, but will also complete a facial scan through carrier-supported mobile apps.
Data breaches push regulators to apply stricter controls
The Ministry of Science and ICT maintains that stolen personal data alone should no longer be enough to activate a telephone line.
This policy change comes after a year marked by major incidents of data theft that affected a large portion of the population.
South Korea has nearly 52 million residents, and security breaches this year exposed records belonging to more than half of them.
This includes Coupang, a major e-commerce company, which leaked tens of millions of customer records, prompting leadership changes, and SK Telecom which also exposed sensitive data linked to its entire subscriber base.
Investigations found basic security flaws, including unencrypted credentials and infrastructure details left on public servers.
Regulators responded with heavy fines and mandatory compensation for customers, increasing financial pressure on the airline.
Authorities say the stolen data fuels phone scams, such as voice phishing, which relies on easily obtained numbers.
The government also points to virtual mobile network operators as a major source of counterfeit phone records, accounting for the majority of cases detected during 2024.
Officials believe biometric checks will increase the cost and complexity of fraud, even if they do not eliminate it.
The same reasoning underpins interest in alternatives such as the eSIM, which can limit misuse of the physical SIM card but still relies on secure identity verification.
Facial verification raises questions about how biometric data is stored, protected and audited over time.
South Korea’s three major carriers, SK Telecom, LG Uplus and Korea Telecom, use an app called PASS that stores these credentials, but recent security flaws make it harder to gain public trust.
For consumers, the process adds friction when purchasing a new line, especially for short-term or prepaid use.
Companies that manage large fleets of business phones may face additional administrative measures, although regulators argue that compensation is justified.
This policy reflects the view that stronger identity controls are preferable to absorbing repeated losses due to weak controls, even if the approach displaces risk rather than eliminating it entirely.
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