Republic of Korea passport
Encyclopedia
Republic of Korea passports are issued to citizens of South Korea
to facilitate international travel. Like any other passport
s, they serve as proof for passport holders' personal information, such as nationality
and date of birth. However, South Korean passports also indicate the holder's resident registration number
(unless the holder does not have one). Republic of Korea passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
and printed by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
since 1973.
Ordinary passports are issued for one, five, or ten years of validity.
inscribed in the center of the front cover, with the Korean
word Daehanminguk Yeokwon (대한민국 여권) inscribed above and its English
translation Republic of Korea Passport below the coat of arms. Ordinary passports valid for five or ten years are in dark green.
The identity information page contains:
The textual portions of passports is printed in both English
and Korean
.
The note inside Republic of Korea passports are written in both Korean
and English
. The message in the passport is written by the Republic of Korea's minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade which reads:
In Korean
:
In English
:
. The Republic of Korea's constitution considers the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as part of its territory, although under a different administration. In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay, as long as the traveller does not land on a third territory.
However, because of the political situation between the South and the isolated communist government of North Korea
, it is almost impossible to enter the North from the South across the Korean DMZ. Tourists wishing to enter North Korea almost always enter from the Chinese border
.
However, visa-free travel to the tourist resort of Mount Geumgang
and the Kaesong Industrial Region
was made possible under the "sunshine policy
" orchestrated by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in 1998. Those wishing to travel across the DMZ were given special travel certificates issued by Ministry of Unification
or the travel agency, known as the Hyundai-Asan Corporation.
However, as of March 2010 all travel across the DMZ has now been suspended due to increasing tensions between North and South Korea. In July 2008, a female tourist was shot to death by a North Korean guard on a beach near Geumgang.
Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade formed the 'Committee for promoting e-passports' in April 2006, and it will be scheduled to issue biometric passports in the second half of 2008. On September 4, 2007, the media reported that the Korean government decided to revise its passport law to issue biometric passports which include fingerprint information, first to the diplomats in the first quarter of 2008, and the rest of the public in the second half of the year. Some civil liberties have caused some controversy over the fingerprinting requirement because the ICAO only requires a photograph be recorded on the chip.
On February 26, 2008, the Korean National Assembly passed the revision of passport law. A new biometric passport was issued to diplomats in March, and to the general public shortly thereafter. Fingerprinting measures will not be implemented immediately; however, they began January 1, 2010.
The appearance of the new biometric passports is almost identical to the former machine-readable versions, and they both have 48 pages. However, the space for visas was reduced by six pages. These pages are now reserved for identication purposes, notices and other information, as well as the bearer's contacts
. In the new biometric passports, the main identification page has moved to the second page from inside the front cover. The note from the Foreign Affairs Minister is still shown on the front page and the signature is shown on the page after photo identification.
The new biometric passport incorporates many security features such as colour shifting ink, hologram, ghost image, infrared
ink, intaglio
, laser perforation of passport number (from the third page to the back cover), latent image
, microprinting
, security thread
, solvent
sensitive ink, and steganography
.
Inside the backcover, a caution for the biometric chip is written both in Korean,
and in English,
The passport holders' contact information that was originally held inside the backcover has also been moved to the last page of the new passport.
in July, 2007, the South Korean government has banned Afghanistan
, Iraq
and Somalia
as travel destinations for safety reasons.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
to facilitate international travel. Like any other passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, they serve as proof for passport holders' personal information, such as nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
and date of birth. However, South Korean passports also indicate the holder's resident registration number
Resident registration number (South Korea)
A resident registration number is a 13-digit number issued to all residents of the Republic of Korea. Similar to national identification numbers in other countries, it is used to identify people in various private transactions such as in banking and employment. It is also used extensively for...
(unless the holder does not have one). Republic of Korea passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade may refer to:* New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade...
and printed by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation is a government-owned corporation which is responsible to print and mint the banknotes and coins and other government documents. Its headquarters are located in Daejeon, South Korea...
since 1973.
Types
- Ordinary passport : Issued to normal citizens.
Ordinary passports are issued for one, five, or ten years of validity.
- Official passport : Issued to members of the National Assembly and civil servants.
- Diplomatic passport : Issued to diplomats and nationals who serve under diplomatic terms are given this special passport. These passports guarantee special treatment in other countries.
Physical appearance
South Korean passports have the Korean Coat of Arms (bottom right)Coat of arms of South Korea
The National Emblem of the Republic of Korea consists of the taeguk symbol present on the country's national flag surrounded by five stylized petals and a ribbon bearing the inscription "The Republic of Korea" , the official name of the country, in Hangul characters. The Taegeuk represents peace...
inscribed in the center of the front cover, with the Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
word Daehanminguk Yeokwon (대한민국 여권) inscribed above and its English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation Republic of Korea Passport below the coat of arms. Ordinary passports valid for five or ten years are in dark green.
- Photo of the passport holder
- Type (PM or PS) PM passports can be used for multiple entries while PS passports are valid for single entry.
- Issuing country code (KOR)
- Passport number (Includes a total of nine digits. Two Digits are the issued local code, 7 digits are the serial number. For example, JR is for Jongno-guJongno-guJongno-gu is a gu, or district, in central Seoul, South Korea. It takes its name from a major local street, Jongno, which means "Bell Street". Jongno-gu has been the center of the city for 600 years, since where the Joseon dynasty established its capital city...
, GN is for Gangnam-guGangnam-guGangnam-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the most affluent areas of Seoul and is located in the southeast of the city...
, GK is for Gyeonggi-doGyeonggi-doGyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
) In the newly issued passports starting August 25th 2008, the Passport Number will retain the same 9 digits but the Issued Local code will be changed to a single letter m noting PM passports and s for PS passports. The rest of the 8 digits will be the serial number. - SurnameSurnameA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
- Given nameGiven nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s - NationalityNationalityNationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
- Date of birth
- Date of issue
- Date of expiry
- GenderGenderGender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
- Personal ID number (Resident registration number of South KoreaResident registration number (South Korea)A resident registration number is a 13-digit number issued to all residents of the Republic of Korea. Similar to national identification numbers in other countries, it is used to identify people in various private transactions such as in banking and employment. It is also used extensively for...
); however, South Korean passports issued to Zainichi Koreans do not have resident registration numbers, reflecting their statutory exemption from taxation and conscription in South KoreaConscription in South KoreaConscription, or mandatory military service or compulsory national service, is legislated in South Korea, with military service stated as one of the Four Constitutional Duties for all citizens...
(and conversely, their inability to vote or stand for election there). - Issuing authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
- Korean (Hangeul) name
The textual portions of passports is printed in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
.
The note inside Republic of Korea passports are written in both Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The message in the passport is written by the Republic of Korea's minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade which reads:
In Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
:
-
- 대한민국 국민인 이 여권 소지인이 아무 지장 없이 통행할수 있도록 하여 주시고 필요한 모든 편의 및 보호를 베풀어 주실 것을 관계자 여러분께 요청합니다.
In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
:
-
- The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea hereby requests all those whom it may concern to permit the bearer, to pass freely without delay or hindrance, in case of need, to afford him(her) every possible assistance and protection.
Inter-Korea travel
Exiting from South Korea via the northern border38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
. The Republic of Korea's constitution considers the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as part of its territory, although under a different administration. In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay, as long as the traveller does not land on a third territory.
However, because of the political situation between the South and the isolated communist government of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, it is almost impossible to enter the North from the South across the Korean DMZ. Tourists wishing to enter North Korea almost always enter from the Chinese border
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
However, visa-free travel to the tourist resort of Mount Geumgang
Kumgangsan
Kŭmgangsan , Geumgangsan, or Mount Geumgang is a -high mountain in Kangwon-do, North Korea. Its name means "a firm heart in the face of truth". It is about 50 km away from South Korea's Sokcho in Gangwon-do. It is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea...
and the Kaesong Industrial Region
Kaesong Industrial Region
Kaesŏng Industrial Region is a special administrative industrial region of North Korea. It was formed in 2002 from part of Kaesŏng Directly Governed City.-Kaesŏng Industrial Park:...
was made possible under the "sunshine policy
Sunshine policy
The Sunshine Policy was the foreign policy of South Korea towards North Korea until Lee Myung-bak's election to presidency in 2008. Since its articulation in 1998 by South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, the policy resulted in greater political contact between the two nations and some historical...
" orchestrated by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in 1998. Those wishing to travel across the DMZ were given special travel certificates issued by Ministry of Unification
Ministry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification is a branch of the South Korean government that is charged with working toward the reunification of Korea. It was first established in 1969 as the National Unification Board, under the rule of Park Chung-hee...
or the travel agency, known as the Hyundai-Asan Corporation.
However, as of March 2010 all travel across the DMZ has now been suspended due to increasing tensions between North and South Korea. In July 2008, a female tourist was shot to death by a North Korean guard on a beach near Geumgang.
Biometric Passport
The Korean government has been issuing biometric passports since February 2008 for diplomats and government officials. They have been issuing this type of passports to all of their citizens since August 25, 2008.Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade formed the 'Committee for promoting e-passports' in April 2006, and it will be scheduled to issue biometric passports in the second half of 2008. On September 4, 2007, the media reported that the Korean government decided to revise its passport law to issue biometric passports which include fingerprint information, first to the diplomats in the first quarter of 2008, and the rest of the public in the second half of the year. Some civil liberties have caused some controversy over the fingerprinting requirement because the ICAO only requires a photograph be recorded on the chip.
On February 26, 2008, the Korean National Assembly passed the revision of passport law. A new biometric passport was issued to diplomats in March, and to the general public shortly thereafter. Fingerprinting measures will not be implemented immediately; however, they began January 1, 2010.
The appearance of the new biometric passports is almost identical to the former machine-readable versions, and they both have 48 pages. However, the space for visas was reduced by six pages. These pages are now reserved for identication purposes, notices and other information, as well as the bearer's contacts
Address book
An address book or a name and address book is a book or a database used for storing entries called contacts. Each contact entry usually consists of a few standard fields...
. In the new biometric passports, the main identification page has moved to the second page from inside the front cover. The note from the Foreign Affairs Minister is still shown on the front page and the signature is shown on the page after photo identification.
The new biometric passport incorporates many security features such as colour shifting ink, hologram, ghost image, infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
ink, intaglio
Intaglio (printmaking)
Intaglio is a family of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, known as the matrix or plate, and the incised line or area holds the ink. Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or...
, laser perforation of passport number (from the third page to the back cover), latent image
Latent image
A latent image on photographic film is an invisible image produced by the exposure of the film to light. When the film is developed, the area that was exposed darkens and forms a visible image...
, microprinting
Microprinting
Microprinting is one of many anti-counterfeiting techniques used most often on currency and bank checks, as well as various other items of value. Microprinting involves printing very small text, usually too small to read with the naked eye, onto the note or item. Microprint is frequently hidden in...
, security thread
Security thread
A security thread is a security feature of many bank notes to protect against counterfeiting, consisting of a thin ribbon that is threaded through the note's paper....
, solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
sensitive ink, and steganography
Steganography
Steganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message, a form of security through obscurity...
.
Inside the backcover, a caution for the biometric chip is written both in Korean,
"주의 – 이 여권에는 민감한 전자칩이 내장되어 있습니다. 접거나 구멍을 뚫는 행위 또는 극한 환경(온도,습도)에의 노출로 여권이 손상될 수 있으니 취급에 주의하여 주시기 바랍니다."
and in English,
"This passport contains sensitive electronics, For best performance please do not bend, perforate or expose to extreme temperatures or excess moisture."
The passport holders' contact information that was originally held inside the backcover has also been moved to the last page of the new passport.
Production
As of January 2009, Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation takes eight hours to produce the new biometric passport and is capable of producing 26,500 passports per day.Restricted nations
As a result from South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan
The 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan began on July 19, 2007, when 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage by members of the Taliban while passing through Ghazni Province of Afghanistan. Two male hostages were executed before the deal was reached between the...
in July, 2007, the South Korean government has banned Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
as travel destinations for safety reasons.
See also
- Biometric passports
- List of passports
- Visa waiver programVisa Waiver ProgramThe Visa Waiver Program is a program of the United States Government which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. The program applies to the 50 U.S. states as well as the U.S...
- South Korean nationality lawSouth Korean nationality lawSouth Korean nationality law defines who is a South Korean citizen, as well as the procedures by which one may be naturalized into South Korean citizenship or renounce it.-Basic definition:South Korean nationality can be acquired in a number of ways:...
- Visa requirements for South Korean citizensVisa requirements for South Korean citizensAt least 163 countries and territories granted visa free or visa on arrival access to regular South Korean passport holders.-Americas:-Africa:-Asia:-Europe:...