Seoul: South Korea will implement facial recognition technology starting next month as a way to strengthen the identity verification process during mobile phone registrations, the government announced Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reported. According to Nam News Network, the Ministry of Science and ICT unveiled the plan during a briefing in Seoul as part of broader efforts to prevent illegal activities, including mobile identity theft, when registering new mobile phone numbers. Starting Monday, customers registering a new mobile phone number will be able to choose either face recognition or other government-approved forms of identification, such as resident registration certificates, to verify their identity. Face recognition was made optional, amid concerns over infringements of basic rights, the ministry said. Raw facial images will be discarded immediately after the verification process is completed to prevent potential data leaks, it added. The government plans to expand the range of identity verificat ion options while revising relevant laws by October to establish the legal basis for introducing facial recognition services. Last year, the ministry announced a plan to make face recognition mandatory for new mobile phone registrations, sparking public concerns amid a series of data breaches in local mobile carriers. State data protection and human rights authorities pointed out that the plan lacked a sufficient legal basis and could infringe on peoples fundamental rights.