Ministry of the Interior and Safety starts online child-record certificate service

South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Thursday it will let parents apply for their minor children's entry-and-exit record certificates through Government24 from Aug. 7, easing access for families abroad.

Until now, parents seeking proof of a child's entry-and-exit history had to visit a community service center or immigration office, posing problems for families overseas that could need a relative in Korea to help or return home for documents needed by domestic institutions.

The ministry said the service was being launched during the summer holiday season, while also helping parents who need to submit study-related documentation. It will reduce the time and financial losses for dual-income households that may otherwise need to take leave from work.

Applicants must attach a family relationship certificate issued in the child's name. An administrative-network system will automatically check parental authority by linking the attachment with Public MyData before releasing the certificate.

Government24 has run a pilot online parental-proxy service since June 12 for disability certificates and passport reissue applications. It processed 6,821 cases over about seven weeks through Aug. 2, including 2,654 disability-certificate issuances and 4,167 passport reissue applications.

The ministry said it will work with related agencies to identify additional high-demand civil services for minors and gradually expand online parental-proxy issuance.

Yoon Ho-jung, the interior and safety minister, said, "We will continue to look closely at even small inconveniences people experience in daily life, so that no one is excluded from the benefits of AI innovation as we build an 'AI democratic government.'"