Core Viewpoint - South Korea will mandate facial recognition for new mobile number registrations to combat illegal registrations used for scams [1][2] Group 1: Policy Implementation - The new policy requires major mobile operators SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus, as well as mobile virtual network operators, to implement additional verification steps [2] - The policy aims to prevent activation of new numbers through identity theft [2] - The initiative will begin trial operations next week and will be officially implemented by March 2026 [3] Group 2: Background and Context - In August, South Korea announced a series of comprehensive measures to combat voice phishing scams, including stricter penalties for mobile operators that fail to take adequate preventive measures [2] - The Ministry of Science and ICT stated that real-time comparison of ID photos with the actual face of the cardholder will help prevent activation of phones registered under stolen or forged IDs [2] - As of November this year, reported voice phishing scam cases in South Korea reached 21,588, resulting in losses of 1.13 trillion KRW (approximately 760 million USD), marking the first time losses exceeded 1 trillion KRW [3]