Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter |

South Korean government is going to issue digital identification cards to the Korean nationals as early as the second half of the next year 2024, said the government on Tuesday June 20, 2023.

The government's proposal to issue digital resident registration cards to be held on mobile phones was approved at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, yet the proposal also requires legislative approval according to the South Korean ministry of Public Administration and Security.

The new digital cards can be savable on the smartphones and will hold the same legal role as the current plastic identification cards.

The digital ID cards will carry QR code so that the ID card holder's personal information, such as their name, date of birth, registration number, home address, and date of issuance can be read digitally.

Digital ID cards will only be allowed to the smartphones registered under the ID card holder’s name, will be valid as proof of identity at government offices or at banks, and as proof of age in stores.

For security purpose, the government is planning to operate a dedicated call center and webpage to secure the holder’s personal data as well as to prevent theft.

Moreover, the digital ID cards will be nullified immediately in case of smartphones reported missing.

“Mobile ID cards will make people's lives more convenient. We will prepare thoroughly so the public can use them safely, “said Han Chang-seop, vice minister of public administration and security.

Jordan, Arab country of Southwest Asia has activated half a million of its digital national IDs and is planning to extend the service to its citizens living abroad.

A state of Sarawak, Malaysia, the largest among its 13 states, is mulling the development of its own digital identity platform for online verification, as per Malay Mail reports.

In 2021, Malaysia launched a biometric national digital ID initiative is expected to be in place by 2024.