Korea's human rights body urges reexamination of facial-recognition SIM activation policy

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has recommended reexamining a policy that would require facial recognition during mobile phone activations, ahead of its full nationwide rollout.

Under the plan led by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and involving Korea’s three mobile carriers and MVNO providers, facial recognition would verify a user’s identity during SIM activation to curb financial crimes such as voice phishing conducted with burner phones. The system began a pilot on December 23 last year and is slated for full implementation on the 23rd.

The commission acknowledged that facial recognition could help prevent fraud but stressed that biometric data are highly sensitive and difficult to replace if compromised, requiring stringent protections.

The body also cautioned that mobile phones function as essential infrastructure for financial transactions, public services, and mobile identity verification, so mandating facial recognition could affect fundamental rights beyond privacy, including the freedom of communication and expression and the right to information.

It pointed to gaps in current law, noting there is no clear legal basis in the Telecommunications Business Act or related statutes for collecting and using biometric data, and that existing rules largely rely on documents like resident registration cards rather than biometrics.

To address these concerns, the commission recommended establishing a legal basis for the collection and use of biometric information, providing alternative authentication methods, and publishing the results of biometric processing and safety assessments.

For U.S. readers, the case illustrates a broader global debate over balancing fraud prevention with civil liberties and biometric data protection. Korea’s approach affects how daily digital life—online banking, government services, and identity verification—intersects with privacy, security, and consumer rights, with potential implications for international tech providers and cross-border data flows.