The South Korean government is reviewing the potential unification and elimination of mobile ID services, including PASS, to address concerns over counterfeiting. Critics argue that enhancing on-site verification systems and ensuring user convenience should take precedence.
According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Rights Citizens' Council from September 21 to 29, 55.4% of 4,000 respondents aged 20 to 69 who have used the PASS ID opposed the proposed unification and elimination of the service, while 18.3% supported it. The survey included 2,000 users and 2,000 non-users.
Among PASS ID users, 76.5% found the service convenient. The opposition to unification was 21 percentage points higher among users compared to non-users, where 34.4% opposed it.
The cost of issuing government mobile IDs and the burden of in-person visits are also contentious issues. Currently, the three major telecom companies cover the costs for PASS IDs, while government-issued IDs range from 10,000 to 15,000 won. If mobile ID services are unified, users would have to bear these costs. Consequently, 68.3% of PASS users deemed it unfair to pay for the issuance, and 69.7% found the requirement to visit issuing agencies inconvenient, a figure that rises to 73.5% among those in their 60s.
The issuance rate of IC resident registration cards, which form the basis for the government's mobile ID initiative, remains low. According to data submitted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to National Assembly member Kang Myung-koo of the People Power Party, as of the end of August, only about 1.97 million IC resident registration cards had been issued, representing just 4.4% of the approximately 45.01 million eligible individuals.
By age group, the issuance rate is 47.0% for teenagers who receive their first card for free at age 17, but only 1.8% for those in their 60s, 0.9% for those in their 70s, and 0.3% for those aged 80 and older.
Concerns have also been raised about inadequate performance management related to budget expenditures. According to Kang's office, a total of 50.6 billion won has been allocated for the establishment and operation of the mobile ID system. The operating costs for the common infrastructure system increased from about 2.4 billion won in 2022 to approximately 6.1 billion won this year.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reportedly does not track the number of mobile ID uses and verifications, making it difficult to assess the current status of the service.
Kang stated, "The key to addressing counterfeiting lies in improving on-site verification practices rather than unifying services. Fake apps that mimic government and private services are difficult to detect without QR verification, as they can be visually confirmed only on screens." He added that the government mobile ID and private verification services should coexist while strengthening the verification system.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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