Interior ministry opens mobile ID to four major bank apps

The interior ministry said Tuesday that Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank and Hana Bank will begin issuing and accepting mobile identification documents in their own apps from Oct. 14, extending a state digital ID service to the platforms customers already use for everyday banking.

The four banks passed a suitability review the government ran to rule out hacking and personal data leaks before granting access to the system, which handles sensitive identity information. The ministry picked the new operators through a public competition aimed at widening choice for users. Samsung Electronics, Naver and four other private operators already carry the service.

The service covers resident registration cards, driver's licences, national veterans' registration cards, alien registration cards and disability registration cards. All five become available through the four banking apps from Wednesday.

Customers holding an IC-type physical ID can complete issuance by tapping the card against a smartphone. Those without one must visit a designated issuing office and register in person. Users who have already issued a mobile ID on a Samsung device can retrieve it through an identity-verification step, without tapping a card or visiting an office.

"We expect that through this additional opening, people will be able to use mobile identification more easily and quickly in the familiar apps they use every day," Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said. He added that the ministry will keep adjusting the relevant rules and working with the private sector to widen where the service can be used.