Growing Public Concerns Over Introduction of Facial Recognition Authentication... “A New Breeding Ground for Crime”

[Financial News] Although the mandatory implementation of facial recognition authentication for mobile phone activation is set to begin immediately, concerns continue to mount among the public. Many point to insufficient explanations about how collected information will be managed and used, as well as unresolved suspicions that the system could become an excessive tool for social control and infringe on privacy.
According to the telecommunications industry on the 22nd, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) will begin gradually introducing facial recognition authentication into all mobile phone activation procedures—including new subscriptions, number portability, and name changes—starting on the 23rd. In addition to the conventional ID check, a facial recognition step will be added to verify that the applicant matches the person in the ID. The government plans to run a pilot program until March 2026 before fully implementing the system.
The government cites increasingly sophisticated ID forgery techniques and the use of stolen identities to activate burner phones, which often serve as a starting point for voice phishing crimes, as the rationale for the new system. The aim is to prevent the activation of burner phones through Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) using facial recognition authentication. The government also presented data showing that the number of burner phone activations last year exceeded 97,399—more than three times the figure from 2023—with MVNOs accounting for 92.8% of those cases.
However, public anxiety remains high. People are particularly concerned about being required to provide sensitive biometric data and the lack of clear explanations regarding how facial information will be stored and used.
Jung, a 31-year-old office worker, said, “With so many cases of facial manipulation and synthesis using artificial intelligence these days, I feel uneasy about my facial data being collected without proper explanation about where it will be stored and how it will be used.” Kang, a 22-year-old university student, added, “Many people feel that checking an ID is sufficient, yet we are being forced to undergo biometric authentication without any choice, which feels excessive.”
Online, critics argue that facial recognition technology could be expanded as a tool for social control. Many also express unease by drawing parallels to China’s use of facial recognition for social surveillance.
Adding to these concerns are a series of recent personal data breaches. Lee, 55, who received a notification from Coupang last month about a data leak, commented, “With data breaches happening repeatedly, making facial recognition mandatory only increases the risks. I question whether this policy is truly for public protection.”
Experts note that, unlike ID or phone numbers, biometric information cannot be changed if leaked, so risk management must be even stricter.
Myung-Joo Kim, professor at the Department of Intelligent Information Security at Seoul Women's University (SWU), stated, “Biometric data should be the last resort for authentication. Even if used, it must be combined with other authentication methods, and unless management systems such as encryption and access control are established for storage, the risks remain high.”
There are also questions about whether the introduction of facial recognition will actually help prevent crime. Suk-Jin Hwang, professor at the Graduate School of International Information Security at Dongguk University, noted, “With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, leaked facial data could be exploited for deepfake crimes. In the case of burner phone-related crimes, there are instances where the registered user activates the phone and transfers it to someone else, so facial recognition alone cannot solve all the problems.” He added, “Thorough verification of effectiveness and side effects, as well as building public consensus, must come first.”
On the other hand, MSIT maintains that facial data generated during authentication is neither stored nor retained and is deleted immediately after the authentication process is completed.
An MSIT official explained, “During the mobile phone activation process, we only compare the ID photo and a real-time facial capture to confirm identity. All facial data and related information, except for the authentication result, are deleted immediately. Since telecom companies are not required to store or manage this data like other personal information such as resident registration numbers, it is actually a safer method.”
yesji@fnnews.com Kim Ye-ji Reporter