Supreme Court moves to keep electronic deed records of property registrations permanently

The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will require registration officials to preserve permanently the electronic records that prove why a property registration was made, part of a revision to the country's real estate registration rules.

Under the change, when an application is filed in the electronic standard format with information proving the cause of registration attached, the registrar must store that data permanently and make it available for public inspection. The preservation provision takes effect on Dec. 11, while the rest of the revision applies from the day it was issued.

The court said the changes are intended to raise confidence in the registry by digitizing and permanently preserving the documents behind registrations. It also said the disclosure limits give the courts a basis to protect the personal information of registration holders when they request registration under Article 163(2) of the Civil Procedure Act, and that the ID changes are meant to secure the accuracy and reliability of identity checks.

The court also moved to limit disclosure of personal information held in the registry. When issuing a registration certificate or allowing inspection of registry records, applications and attached documents, the address of the registered owner will join the list of items that can be withheld, in full or in part.

The revision expands the identification documents a registrar may accept when certifying that a person is the party obliged to register, adding a disability registration card showing the holder's address and resident registration number.

A further change clarifies the scope of joint-mortgage applications. When a property is added as additional collateral for a joint mortgage and its owner differs from that of the previously registered collateral, the related application is still permitted.

The revision was issued as Supreme Court Rule No. 3298 and signed by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.