Public Institutions Banned From Making Resident ID Number Requests

Administrative agencies and educational institutions will be prohibited from asking for resident ID numbers when people want to obtain memberships online.

The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs announced on May 3 that it formulated standardized guidelines on creating and running administrative agency websites, including a ban on demanding ID numbers. The guidelines will apply to 11,441 public institutions, including 306 central government agencies and their affiliated bodies, municipal governments, and a total 11,135 of primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and universities.

The measure is designed to prevent the exposure of personal details and the abuse of the numbers for access to adult-only websites.

Jong-Dae Ha orionha@donga.com