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The government will begin issuing electronic passports for diplomats and government officials on a trial basis from March 31. The issuance of e-passports is a precondition to joining the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. E-passports will be available for the general public starting around August.
President Lee Myung-bak, who is traveling to the U.S. next month on his first overseas trip since his inauguration, will reportedly carry an e-passport in an effort to persuade the U.S. to include South Korea in the VWP.
The back cover of the e-passport contains an embedded microchip that carries the holder's basic personal information, including date of birth and his or her facial information. This makes the back cover of the e-passport a little thicker than that of conventional passports, but otherwise there is almost no difference in the outward appearance between the two. From 2010, the e-passport will also carry the holder's fingerprint information.
A South Korean government official said, "With the issuance of e-passports, it should be possible for South Koreans to begin traveling to the U.S. without entry visas around the end of this year."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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