SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will make it mandatory for people to undergo facial recognition when opening a new mobile phone number, as part of efforts to root out illegally registered handsets used for scams, the science ministry said Friday.

Under the plan, South Korea will require the country's three mobile carriers, SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Inc., along with mobile virtual network operators, to carry out the additional verification step to prevent the activation of new numbers through identity theft.

The announcement came after South Korea unveiled a set of comprehensive measures to fight voice phishing scams in August, including tougher punishment for mobile carriers that fail to carry out sufficient preventive efforts.

"By comparing the photo on an identification card with the holder's actual face on a real-time basis, we can fully prevent the activation of phones registered under a false name using stolen or fabricated IDs," the ministry said in a release.

The ministry noted scammers will face more hurdles in activating new phones using information obtained from hacking attacks.

The new policy will be officially implemented in March 2026, with a trial run set to begin next week.

The number of voice phishing scams reported came to 21,588 as of November this year, with the combined amount of damage reaching 1.13 trillion won (US$760 million), surpassing the 1 trillion-won mark for the first time, the ministry added, citing a report from the police agency.

colin@yna.co.kr
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