South Korea Mandates Facial Recognition for Mobile SIM Activations

The Ministry of Science and ICT launched a trial on December 23, 2025, requiring real-time facial recognition for individuals registering new mobile phone numbers. The policy aims to combat the weaponization of stolen personal data used for voice phishing and impersonation schemes, which caused 1.13 trillion won in damages this year. The initiative follows major data breaches affecting over half of the country's population and a specific security failure at SK Telecom that exposed sensitive customer and infrastructure data.

Under the new system, customers using the PASS identification app must verify that their actual face matches the photo on their government-issued ID. The mandate applies to both in-person and remote registrations and involves the three major carriers—SK Telecom Co., KT Corp., and LG Uplus Inc.—as well as mobile virtual network operators. The government stated that biometric data will not be stored during this process.

Following the trial, full nationwide implementation is scheduled for March 2026. This rollout will be accompanied by legal revisions requiring mobile carriers to notify users of risks associated with illegally registered phones and to increase oversight of retailers to prevent fraud.