"I have a resident registration card (minjeung), so why can't you process my transaction? Doesn't mobile work either?"
On 29th, the first business day after the fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) on 26th, non-face-to-face account openings and identity verification ran into snags, swamping bank counters. A passport that can be used in place of a resident registration card was required, but most customers did not bring an alternate ID, leaving them unable to handle financial business at the counter and extending wait times amid ongoing confusion.
Around 9:20 a.m. that day, this reporter pulled waiting ticket No. 41 at a branch of a commercial bank in Seoul. After waiting about an hour, a teller said, "Ahead of Chuseok, there are a few more people than usual because customers want new bills, and as we explain that it's difficult to proceed with business using a resident registration card and even go as far as using the automated response system (ARS) as an alternative, the wait time is getting longer."
According to the financial industry that day, over the weekend financial holding companies convened meetings chaired by risk chiefs and began operating an emergency response task force centered on group heads in charge of information and communication technology (ICT) and digital. And because it was the first business day since the fire, they reviewed non-face-to-face channel manuals in anticipation of processing difficulties and recommended major branches come to work earlier than usual.
Until the morning, IDs that could be used for identity verification were physical driver's licenses, passports, foreigner registration cards, and mobile IDs (resident registration card, driver's license, foreigner registration card) issued before 26th. In particular, the ARS service "1382" for verifying resident registration card authenticity, which had reduced damage during the administrative network outage two years ago, was also unavailable, causing disruptions at bank counters.
Fortunately, a notice that the 1382 service was available went up around 10 a.m. at some commercial banks, but it is taking time to apply it at the counters because the head office needs to check whether authenticity can be verified accurately for all information. Also, even if 1382 works, the queue grew because the counter has to place a call and the customer must enter their resident registration card information and complete verification.
In particular, the suspension of public MyData services halted applications for some unsecured loans and mortgage loans that use the data for screening. Government24 electronic certificates linked to government agencies, the public secretary service, the people's livelihood recovery coupon address change service, and post office financial services overall were also suspended. Internet-only banks without in-person counters suffered more, and for loan screening, because they cannot use MyData, they are proceeding by having customers upload images of relevant physical documents.
Second-tier financial institutions that use non-face-to-face authentication are also working to manage the situation. Major card companies guided customers via their websites to use driver's licenses instead of resident registration cards, and most restricted card application services that use physical resident registration cards. ▲ Region changes for people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons ▲ authenticity checks for mobile ID resident registration cards ▲ applications and conversions for the National Happiness Card voucher ▲ post office financial services were suspended. Shinhan Card also temporarily halted new sign-ups for minors.
Savings banks that use an integrated computer network also posted notices about disruptions and unavailable services and are handling complaints through call centers. The fallout reached virtual asset exchanges as well. Buying and selling virtual assets is available after registering a real-name deposit and withdrawal account, but because the service requires real-name verification through a partner bank, verification is impossible without a driver's license.
Fortunately, Government24, which handles non-face-to-face identity verification, appears likely to be restored during the morning, and commercial banks expect to be able to process all business normally during the day. A source at a commercial bank said, "We were very worried over the weekend, but Government24 seems likely to be restored faster than expected," adding, "Until all services are restored, we will monitor the financial transaction disruption and do our best to stabilize computer operations."