An individual who applied for the mobile ID pilot program downloads the mobile ID app on their cellphone in Daejeon, Dec. 27. Yonhap

The issuance of mobile resident registration cards will be expanded nationwide, starting Feb. 14 and concluding by March 14, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Sunday.

The mobile resident registration system, which has been in pilot operation in nine regions across the country since late last year, aims to enhance convenience. During the pilot program, designated regions included Sejong as the only metropolitan participant and eight basic local governments including Hongcheon in Gangwon Province, Goyang in Gyeonggi Province and Geochang in South Gyeongsang Province.

Specifically, the phased expansion will begin on Feb. 14 with issuance in regions where the pilot programs were conducted, including Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan, Gangwon Province, North and South Jeolla Province, North and South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island.

On Feb. 28, the program will be extended to Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and the remaining regions of North and South Chungcheong Province, where demand is expected to be high due to larger populations and younger demographics.

By March 14, major metropolitan areas, including Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju, will be integrated into the system. The ministry stated that experiences from the initial phases will be used to handle diverse operational environments and heavy demand.

Starting March 28, citizens will be able to apply for and receive mobile resident registration cards from anywhere in the country, regardless of their registered address.

The mobile resident registration card is available to citizens aged 17 and older who have an existing physical resident registration card. Applicants must first install the Korea Mobile ID app on their registered mobile phones.

For those applying for a physical resident registration card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip, the mobile version can be issued or reissued directly by tapping the card to their phones, eliminating the need to visit a community service center.

The IC resident registration card is issued free of charge to first-time applicants. However, replacing an existing physical card with an IC version requires a reissuance fee of 10,000 won ($6.86).

Alternatively, citizens can visit a community service center, scan a QR code for mobile resident registration card issuance and receive it immediately at no cost.

If a physical resident registration card is reported lost, the validity of both the physical and mobile versions will be suspended. However, if only the mobile version is reported lost, its validity alone will be suspended.

The mobile resident registration card will be accepted at administrative offices, financial institutions and hospitals, functioning identically to the physical version.

"The mobile resident registration card will greatly enhance convenience for citizens in the digital era by enabling access to a wide range of online services," said Ko Ki-dong, acting minister of the interior and safety.