Will people with severe disabilities be able to get new ID cards anywhere in the country?

People with severe disabilities will be able to apply for a new resident registration card at any local government office nationwide, and foreigners will gain a legal pathway to obtain a household move-in certificate directly. The initiative aims to improve administrative convenience for marginalized groups and substantially update the system to reflect changes in housing and the digital environment.
According to reporting by Financial News on the 18th, Chae Hyun-il of the Democratic Party of Korea plans to soon introduce a bill to partially amend the Resident Registration Act, with these measures at its core.
Under the current system, applications for a new resident registration card can in principle be filed at any local government office nationwide. However, people with severe disabilities are an exception and are allowed to apply only at the office that has jurisdiction over their registered address. As a result, there has been ongoing criticism that administrative access is severely limited, because people with severe disabilities whose actual residence differs from their registered address must travel long distances just to obtain a new card.
The amendment would completely remove this restriction. It specifies that people with severe disabilities may apply for both reissuance and first-time issuance of a resident registration card at any government office, regardless of region. This is seen as a measure that reflects the real-world difficulties of people with severe disabilities, who often have limited mobility and typically need a guardian to accompany them through the issuance process.
The bill also includes an expansion of eligibility for household move-in certificates to support the exercise of property rights by foreigners. It explicitly designates foreigners who have completed foreigner registration, as well as overseas Koreans with foreign nationality who have filed a domestic residence report, as persons who may obtain a household move-in certificate directly. This certificate is essential in real estate transactions, for example to check prior rights or to prove legal relationships for mortgage loans. Until now, foreigners could not apply on their own and had to delegate the task to a Korean national. The amendment normalizes the issuance procedure in light of the recent surge in real estate transactions by foreigners in Korea.
At the same time, the bill introduces safeguards to address concerns about potential exposure of personal information during the issuance of household move-in certificates. When auction participants, financial institutions, and similar parties request a certificate, it would be issued showing only the family name of the head of household or co-residents, rather than their full names. While strengthening personal data protection, the amendment clearly states that full names may be disclosed only in exceptional cases, such as when the owner or tenant applies directly or when disclosure is necessary for official duties.
A new legal basis will also be created for expanded digital administrative services. When using e-government platforms such as Government24, a mobile resident registration card will be allowed as an identity verification method in addition to existing electronic signatures. In line with this, the bill establishes penalties for creating and using forged images or copies that resemble a mobile resident registration card. It also brings within the scope of punishment those who broker the use of forged IDs or produce and post related advertisements, thereby strengthening the system for responding to such crimes.
The amendment deletes the existing provision that allowed authorities to verify the authenticity of resident registration information in order to support a real-name verification system on the internet during election periods. This change reflects a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Korea, which found that such verification infringed on anonymous freedom of expression and the right to informational self-determination. Once the bill passes the National Assembly and the State Council and is promulgated, it will take effect six months after the date of promulgation.

yesji@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Yeji Reporter