‘Now the mobile driver’s license of the PASS app holds the same legal effect as a physical driver’s license due to the amendment of the Road Traffic Law’ Photo courtesy of LG Telecom

SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus have announced that the ‘mobile driver’s license verification service’ of PASS now has the same legal effect as a physical driver’s license following amendments to the Road Traffic Law.

The PASS app, which began offering mobile driver’s license verification services for the first time in Korea through the ICT Regulatory Sandbox of the Ministry of Science and ICT in June 2020, will now provide customers with even more convenient and reliable services due to this new legislative change.

The PASS mobile ID verification service can be used without undergoing the process of reissuing a resident registration card or driver’s license, as long as users possess the existing physical ID. Users can easily register by taking a photo or entering their ID information in the PASS app and undergoing a personal authentication process. Based on these advantages, the number of subscribers to the PASS mobile ID verification service has surpassed 11 million.

As a celebration of surpassing 10 million subscribers for the PASS mobile ID verification service, SKT will run an event until the 25th of next month, offering prizes such as AirPods Max and delivery gift vouchers to customers who newly register for the mobile ID verification service.

The PASS mobile ID verification service can be utilized in public sectors such as driving license verification by the police, resident centers, polling stations for public elections, and domestic airline check-ins, as well as in various fields like convenience stores, cinemas, and car rentals for identity verification and age verification procedures.

With the recent revision of the National Health Insurance Act, the PASS mobile ID verification service can also be used in the identity confirmation process that is mandatory when receiving treatment at clinics using health insurance.

Starting in October, the PASS mobile ID verification service’s QR code will be utilized for patient identity verification at Yonsei University College of Medicine’s Yongin Severance Hospital. Additionally, during the third quarter, the QR code will be applied to patient identity verification via unattended kiosks installed in clinics.

Furthermore, PASS is introducing a new pet verification service. As the pet population and related industries rapidly expand, the need for simplified animal registration and information verification is growing. The three telecommunications companies have added a service to PASS that allows users to conveniently verify pet information.

The pet verification service includes not only animal registration numbers but also essential pet information such as name, gender, breed, and whether they are neutered, along with a QR code for identification at usage sites.

The PASS pet verification service is expected to be used at local government pet playgrounds and dog hotels. For example, when presenting PASS at places like the dog park in Dongjak District, Seoul, or the pet family playground in Hwaseong City, users can enter without additional procedures.

Moreover, the service is set to link with pet owner information to enhance utility and will expand functionalities by integrating with a Pet Care service that provides features such as records of pet care (feeding, toilet, walks, missing pets), health management, and analysis of food components.

The three companies stated, “With the amendments to the Road Traffic Law, customers can now easily verify their mobile identity without inconvenience and can use it in various places. We will continue to enhance the convenience of the PASS service by adding functionalities like the pet verification service and strive to enable its easy use in even more places in the future.”

By Jang Sang-in daedusj@autodiary.kr