South Korea’s non-compliant digital id called into question

South Korea’s digital ID system has one major flaw, according to a Korean technology writer.

Choi Youn-jin, a columnist with Hankook Ilbo who leads its Startuplab section, believes a critical problem lay with Korea’s otherwise pioneering digital ID. “Korea’s digital ID system does not comply with international standards,” Youn-jin writes.

He argues this risks isolation from the global network. While South Korea was one of the first countries to grant digital IDs equal legal status as physical ones, beginning with mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) in 2022, Youn-jin points out that mDLs and eventually mobile passports would not work overseas.

Digital IDs in the U.S., European Union, Singapore and Taiwan comply with one of two internationally recognized data formats, either the ISO-certified standard or the “SD-JWT+VC” spec. But South Korea uses its own domestic VC format, which is incompatible with those standards.

“If this incompatibility is not addressed, Koreans may find themselves unable to use digital passports overseas, rendering the system virtually useless in an international context,” writes Youn-jin.

The effects go beyond this, the writer argues, with his home country at risk of losing out on a “lucrative export market” for digital ID infrastructure and technology. He reports companies that have participated in international events, which are unnamed, where foreign governments and firms express interest in Korea’s system, but that they quickly go elsewhere once they learn it uses a non-standard format.

This arises from Korea’s relatively early adoption of digital ID technology, when global standards were yet to come into focus. However, a software update could see Korea adopting international standards by modifying its system architecture, without needing to re-issue existing IDs, Youn-ji said.

This approach can be seen in the Korean government’s push for interoperability. Korean start-up Hopae recently won backing from the government as it collaborates with a joint research institute in building digital identity standards with a global view. The project will last from April 2025 to December 2029.

“The core of digital identity wallets is interoperability between systems and international compatibility,” said Hopae CEO and Co-founder Ace Jaehoon Shim at the time. “We hope that this project will be an opportunity for Korea to leap forward as a global standardization leader in the field of digital identity technology.”

South Korea completed its nationwide rollout of digital ID this spring, with all citizens and foreign residents able to add a digital version of their resident registration card to their smartphone, enabling the replacement of the physical ID card.

Overseas Koreans get I-PIN digital identity access

South Korea is expanding digital access for its citizens living abroad by introducing new non-face-to-face identity verification methods that eliminate the need for a domestic mobile phone number.

The Overseas Koreans Agency and KISA signed an agreement with NH NongHyup Bank, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, and NICE Information Service to roll out enhanced verification services, including the new “Overseas Koreans I-PIN.”

“This initiative aims to eliminate the inconvenience faced by overseas Koreans due to the lack of a Korean mobile number and provide them with digital services on par with domestic users,” said Kim Yeon-sik, Head of the Overseas Korean Service Support Center, quoted in The Korea Post.

The initiative builds on a collaboration with major banks to launch the Overseas Korean Authentication Center, which already enables certificate issuance without a Korean phone number. The expanded system will allow overseas Koreans to access a broad range of services, from government platforms and financial tools to online shopping, healthcare, and remote education.

Each organization plays a specific role: the Overseas Koreans Agency leads policy efforts, KISA manages the verification framework, and private partners deliver secure, user-friendly services. “We will continue to improve online accessibility for overseas Koreans through technological support,” said Kim Jung-hee, Director General at KISA.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  interoperability  |  Korea  |  Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA)  |  South Korea  |  standards