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South Korea's New Mobile Rule: Why Facial Recognition Is Now Mandatory

South Korea is taking a major step to fight phone scams. Starting in 2026, you'll need to pass a facial recognition check to get a new mobile number. This aims to stop criminals from activating phones with stolen identities. The government is acting because voice phishing scams have already caused over a trillion won in damage this year alone.

Key Points: South Korea Mandates Facial Recognition for New Mobile Numbers

  • New policy targets illegally registered handsets used for scams by comparing ID photos to real-time facial scans
  • All major carriers like SK Telecom and KT must implement the verification by March 2026
  • Move follows August measures for tougher punishment on carriers failing anti-scam efforts
  • Voice phishing damage surpassed 1 trillion won for the first time this year, hitting $760 million
2 min read

S. Korea to mandate facial recognition for opening new mobile numbers

South Korea will require facial recognition to open new mobile numbers from 2026 to combat identity theft and voice phishing scams causing billions in damage.

"By comparing the photo on an identification card with the holder's actual face on a real-time basis, we can fully prevent the activation of phones registered under a false name - Ministry of Science and ICT"

Seoul, Dec 19

South Korea will make it mandatory for people to undergo facial recognition when opening a new mobile phone number, as part of efforts to root out illegally registered handsets used for scams, the science ministry said on Friday.

Under the plan, South Korea will require the country's three mobile carriers, SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Inc., along with mobile virtual network operators, to carry out the additional verification step to prevent the activation of new numbers through identity theft, reports Yonhap news agency.

The announcement came after South Korea unveiled a set of comprehensive measures to fight voice phishing scams in August, including tougher punishment for mobile carriers that fail to carry out sufficient preventive efforts.

"By comparing the photo on an identification card with the holder's actual face on a real-time basis, we can fully prevent the activation of phones registered under a false name using stolen or fabricated IDs," the ministry said in a release.

The ministry noted scammers will face more hurdles in activating new phones using information obtained from hacking attacks.

The new policy will be officially implemented in March 2026, with a trial run set to begin next week.

The number of voice phishing scams reported came to 21,588 as of November this year, with the combined amount of damage reaching 1.13 trillion won (US$760 million), surpassing the 1 trillion-won mark for the first time, the ministry added, citing a report from the police agency.

Meanwhile, the government said Thursday it will form an interagency task force to handle the recent large-scale data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang Corp.

The decision was made at a meeting of science and technology–related ministers chaired by Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, the government said.

Led by Ryu Je-myung, second vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the task force will consist of officials from the science ministry and other organizations, including the Personal Information Protection Committee, the Korea Media Communications Commission and the Financial Services Commission.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While the intent to curb scams is good, mandatory facial recognition raises serious privacy concerns. Who stores this data? How is it protected? We've seen data breaches happen even with big companies. Security shouldn't come at the cost of fundamental privacy.
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Ananya R
$760 million in damages from scams is shocking! It shows how critical this problem is. In India, we get so many phishing calls pretending to be from banks or government agencies. If facial recognition can stop even 50% of these, it's worth exploring.
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Vikram M
The tech is impressive – real-time comparison with ID photos. But implementation is key. In our Aadhaar system, there have been glitches. Hope they test it thoroughly before 2026 rollout. Also, what about elderly people in rural areas who might struggle with the process?
K
Karthik V
Good step, but scammers are always one step ahead. They'll find new loopholes. The focus should also be on financial literacy so people don't fall for these scams in the first place. Jago Grahak Jago! 🛡️
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Michael C
Interesting to see a comprehensive approach with a task force and targeting mobile carriers. Often, telecom companies don't have enough incentive to police this strictly. Holding them accountable with "tougher punishment" is the right way to go.

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