Korean Government Moves to Prevent Identity Theft and Curbs the Use of Illegal Burner Phones

- The government carries out a “Comprehensive Plan to Prevent the Fraudulent Use of Mobile Phones” through a “3+1” approach, where three preventive measures targeting identity theft, identity lending, and the misuse of corporate mobile phones, along with one post-activation measure to strengthen enforcement, will be implemented.- From July 6, phased implementation of the facial recognition system for mobile phone activation will begin.▣ ❶Strengthening identity authentication at the activation stage (through the introduction of a multi-factor authentication system) to prevent people from falling victim amid increasing personal information leaks and the advancement of forgery and alteration techniques.∙Following the pilot period, facial recognition will be implemented in phases beginning July 6 until the legal basis is established.- By incorporating recommendations from PIPC and NHRCK, alternative authentication methods to mobile ID cards and resident registration records will be provided to continuously improve the convenience and expand the use of such methods.- During the phased implementation period, if users opt for facial recognition, they must successfully complete facial r...