Could Korea and Japan Allow Travel with Just an ID Instead of a Passport?
Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. To commemorate this, a bold proposal has recently emerged from the tourism industry to allow travel between the two countries using only identification cards instead of passports, which is becoming a hot topic.
The core of this proposal is to make travel between the two countries as convenient as domestic travel. Currently, a passport is mandatory for international travel, but the suggestion is to allow South Korea's Resident Registration Card or Japan's My Number Card to replace immigration procedures. This is similar to how many European countries cross borders freely.
The tourism industry made this proposal because the number of tourists traveling between Korea and Japan has recently reached record highs. If this system is introduced, travelers would be able to save on passport issuance costs, and waiting times at airports are expected to be significantly reduced. This is also anticipated to be a major boost for the tourism industries and economic revitalization of both countries.
However, many challenges remain before this proposal can become a reality. This is because the matters to be reviewed at the government level, such as security issues and legal procedures, are very complex. While the governments of both countries have not yet reached a specific agreement on this proposal, discussions at the private sector level are expected to continue.
Many are watching with interest to see if the relationship between Korea and Japan will grow closer on the occasion of next year's 60th anniversary. If passport-free travel becomes a reality, the exchange between the citizens of both countries is expected to become much more active than it is now.