Description

Korean citizens are issued a national ID card (Korean: 주민등록증; Hanja: 住民登錄證; RR: jumin deungnok jeung) when reaching age 17.[1] This card contains a unique “Citizen’s Registration Number” (jumin deungnok beonho; Korean: 주민등록번호). The first six numbers indicate the citizen’s date of birth, while the last seven numbers includes information such as where the birth was registered. This resident registration number is used by Korean citizens for all forms of record-keeping.

– Residence Card is a Korean national identification card, essentially a form of ID and social security for foreigners. You’ll need it to sign up for services like cell phone plans, internet, banking, and health insurance.

– Residence Card is formerly ARC, which is short for Alien Registration Card. The term “alien” has been continuously criticized over its negative connotation towards foreigners. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice announced a revision to replace the name of “alien registration card” with a more neutral one by removing the word “alien”. ARCs issued from January 2021 will be marked as “Residence Card” instead of “Alien Registration Card”.

– All foreigners intending to stay for more than 90 days must register and apply for one (not applicable for tourist visas).