kangmi: learning korean

e-Hanja

I found out that I did indeed need a 주민등록번호 to register at e-Hanja. Not having one, I 인선 wrote the site a nice e-mail:

안녕하세요

회원가입을 하려고 하는데 저는

주민등록 번호가 없습니다.

외국인의 경우 회원가입 하는 방법을 알려주세요

감사합니다.

That was a week ago, and I still haven’t heard anything.

One could hope that the proposed individual identification system will eventually make a difference:

South Korea is seeking to replace the required usage of resident registration numbers in cyberspace by introducing a new individual identification system.

Information-Communication Minister Chin Dae-je yesterday told a press conference that the Korean version of social security numbers need to be complemented with a new system to protect individuals’ online identity.

“Currently, abuses of resident registration numbers are a serious social problem. We are thinking of embarking on a new online identification system,” Chin said.

Names and resident registration numbers are musts to subscribe to most Korean Web sites which need to identify customers or check their eligibility for adult materials.

The problem is that the numbers hold too much personal information and this has been an emerging subject, according to the Korea Information Security Agency (KISA).

The 13-digit number system, initiated about four decades ago, is a combination of birth date, gender, the first registration region and registration order.

Experts point out the numbers might encourage unscrupulous persons to commit identity theft, one of the fast-growing crimes of the information age.

At the very least, a new system could be written that wouldn’t automatically exclude foreigners.

Posted by kangmi on February 25, 2005 at 8:04 AM5 comments