ID Cards to Make Life Easier for Expats

The government and ruling Saenuri Party on Thursday agreed to issue national residence registration cards to Korean expats who spend more than 30 days here.

Currently, Korean nationals with foreign residency permits automatically lose their Korean ID cards and must report their addresses to the Justice Ministry for a separate permit. As result, they face a lot of needless hassle in financial transactions and other areas.

Saenuri Party lawmaker Hwang Young-cheol of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee said the decision aims to accommodate their needs and make the system more convenient.

Meanwhile, Children's Day will be added to the list of so-called "substitute holidays" where holidays falling on weekends are made up at the beginning of the following week. Holidays are added on weekdays if Lunar New Year's Day and Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

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