By I’m glad that Korea did not receive its US Visa Waiver status under the Roh Moo-hyun administration because it was frankly a benefit that he didn’t deserve to receive, however I really hope that sometime during the Lee Myung-bak administration that this issue gets worked out. Currently it appears though that effort to receive the US visa waiver has hit a major obstacle:
The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Tuesday failed to pass a revision to the passport law aimed at introducing electronic passports, casting Korea’s perpetual ambition to join the U.S. visa waiver program into limbo again. It is unclear whether the revision can be approved by an extra house session this month.
If it is not, joining the visa waiver program, which is contingent on e-passports, may not be possible this year.
The revision was up for debate at the house committee that day but failed to get approval due to disagreement between ruling and opposition lawmakers on whether fingerprint information should be carried on the e-passports. During parliamentary deliberations until recently, lawmakers discussed the danger that fingerprinting could raise human rights concerns and that the e-passports could lead to leaks of passport holders’ personal information. [Chosun Ilbo]
I for the life of me cannot understand what the big deal about giving your fingerprints is. This same controversy came up in Japan where people entering the country had to give their fingerprints. My opinion is that if you enter a country and have no intention of committing a crime then why worry about giving your fingerprints? Now this paranoia over fingerprints has scuttled any hope of receiving US Visa Waiver status for the people of Korea.
If I was a Korean and had the choice of either standing in line all day in front of the US Embassy in Seoul in the slight hope of receiving a US visa or giving my fingerprints for my passport, it seems like putting your fingerprint on the passport would be the easy choice.
4:28 am on February 21st, 2008 1
I'm glad not to see the waiver b/c Koreans don't currently meet the standard. Hopefully they will soon, though.
Yeah, Koreans are forced to use their national ID number to register for every two-bit website in the country, but are worried about fingerprints?
5:54 am on February 21st, 2008 2
I'm just glad they didn't meet the standards under Roh because it would give him something to take credit for. As it stands now Roh pretty much has nothing of any substance he has accomplished after five years in office.
I do hope they do get the visa waiver thing figured out in the near future though because it would make things a heck of a lot easier for my wife's relatives to come visit us in America some day.
6:04 am on February 21st, 2008 3
Well, I can understand the concerns about fingerprinting, but not in Korea, where everyone is fingerprinted as a rule, and one's citizen's number is used as a central part of tracking and identification for all. In other words, it's a moot point, since if you don't have these records in Korean society, you aren't a person.
So – this doesn't make any sense.
7:28 am on February 21st, 2008 4
Metro,
What are your concerns about fingerprinting?
I personally do not see what the big deal is. I will be going to Japan again later this year and gladly give them my fingerprints because I have no intention of committing crimes while I'm there.
The only problem I can see with this is whether they keep the fingerprints in their computer system or foreigners have to get fingerprinted every time they enter the country. That would get annoying to have to give fingerprints every time you enter the country. The electronic visas seem to be the best way to avoid this with the fingerprint data built in.
11:19 am on February 21st, 2008 5
I hear that argument all the time. If you didn't do anything wrong then you should have nothing to hide. Doesn't this sound like guilty until proven innocent? This is personal information, it's identity. I don't need or want a government tracking my movements. It's none of their business. First it's fingerprints, then it's DNA, then it's implanted chips. What's next, bar codes on my right hand?
The point is, if I go to Japan and I want to come in, the fingerprint is the key. Ok, fine, I have no choice, as much as I disagree with it. With Koreans coming to the states, under the current rules, that is the same. You don't have to do it, but if you do, this is what it takes.
I don't agree with the new e-passports. I work as a security analyst and can easily glean data from RFID, and if it's encrypted now, what steps will be taken to strengthen the encryption later? It's burdensome over the long haul to say the least. Also, if I buy a Faraday cover/sheath for my passport to protect my information, that can easily be misconstrued as trying to hide something from authorities. The techno-arms race and all-too-easy misunderstandings makes it even more burdensome and inconvenient for all.
12:16 pm on February 21st, 2008 6
How is anyone tracking your movements with fingerprints? They are not tagging you with a GPS sensor. I still haven't seen a good argument yet on what the big deal is with fingerprints.
The e-passports I would like to see more information on but I would assume some smart people are working on making them as secure as possible.
I actually think in theory that an e-passport could be more secure then the current paper passport if people have to scan it to get info off of it compared to someone stealing your paper passport and gaining access to all the information on it. At least with an e-passport the random pickpocket would have a hard time getting info off an e-passport if they don't have the equipment to hack into it.
3:57 pm on February 23rd, 2008 7
GI, Doesn't all passengers going through US airports have to present their index finger print on the scanner while you go through immigration? Then what is big deal about finger printing if you are going give your print anyway. Thank God for Bio-metric. Make sure the print matches the passport. No one can use the forged passports.
6:22 am on March 3rd, 2008 8
[...] of you may remember that this bill was being held up because of the fear of including fingerprints with the electronic passport because it would violate [...]
8:54 pm on September 22nd, 2008 9
[...] latest issue is just the latest in a long line of delays preventing Korea from getting Visa Waiver status with the [...]