Login
South Korea's Ministry of Science and Information Technology announced the introduction of mandatory biometric verification for new phone number registrations. This measure is aimed at combating phone fraud, according to vc.ru.
According to the new requirements, telecom operators LG Uplus, SK Telecom, and KT, as well as virtual operators, will be required to use facial recognition when selling SIM cards. However, presenting a passport remains mandatory.
Testing of the system will begin on December 22, 2025, with official implementation scheduled for March 2026.
According to police, the total losses from phone and SMS scams in South Korea in 2025 amounted to 1,13 trillion won (approximately 760 million USD).