The NHRCK made recommendation to Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly for an amendment of the 「Resident Registration Act」
o The NHRCK(Chairperson, Hyun, Byung-chul) made the following recommendation to the Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly for overall reform of the resident registration number system:
- Recommendation to the Prime Minister to limit the use of resident registration number to administrative affairs, introduce different identification system for different purposes and to revise related legislation to minimize the use of resident registration number in the private sector.
- Recommendation to the Speaker of the National Assembly to make efforts for an amendment of the Resident Registration Act to adopt new numbers composed of random digits, devise a procedure for change and to prohibit use of the number for other purposes.
[Introduction of system for different number for different purposes]
o The biggest problem of the existing resident registration number system is that the number given to an individual never changes for a life time, and it is utilized in every sector. That is, the problem comes from the fact that the number is invariable and versatile at the same time. Hence, in order to weaken such characteristics, the number has to be utilized only for administrative affairs and legal administrative affairs. In addition, a different number system for different purpose has to be introduced.
o For example, like drivers' license number and passport number, different numbers can be used for different purposes: medical insurance card number for medical insurance related affairs; social welfare number for welfare services such as pension insurance; tax-payer's number for tax affairs and customer management number for financial transaction affairs.
[New resident registration number composed of randomly selected digits]
o The NHRCK concluded that a new resident registration number has to be provided given that the resident registration number of most people are exposed due to various personal information leakage.
o In addition, in providing new resident registration number, it is appropriate to form the number with random digits in order to protect personal information such as birth date, gender and region of origin, which are included in the current number system.
[Allowing change of a resident registration number when is revealed ]
o Moreover, a procedure which provides a new number when the newly provided number is exposed is needed.
o This procedure is to better protect private information by allowing change of the number in preparation for the leakage of private information which the information society inevitably entails.
[Modification of legislations that allow collection of resident registration number and prohibition of use for other purposes]
o Currently, too many legislations(886, Ministry of Security and Administration, as of January 2014) allow collection of resident registration number. In order to minimize number of legislation that allows collection of the data, a comprehensive reform to the legislation is needed. In addition, resident registration number has to be utilized only in administrative affairs regarding resident registration which is the original purpose of the number. Moreover, use of the number in private sector has to be limited to inevitable cases which are closely related to resident registration administrative affairs.
o The NHRCK will continue to make efforts to protect information human rights from the dangers that the advancement of information telecommunication technology and information-based society accompanies.
