Welcome to BASE21

The fingerprint resident registration card debate was ongoing during the year 1995 and began its implementation procedure right away in late October of 1998. How many countries are known to have mandatory resident registration cards? Around 100 countries demand resident registration cards, but the car only includes major information about the person's identity. It does not have any number that distinguishes the citizen as different from others; there is no information about one's domicile, draft details, fingerprints, or the change of one's address. Especially in most developed countries, no registration card that has the purpose of identification is made in the first place. For example, in America the Social Security card replaces the identification system and in German the health card, Australia, the Medical card. It is surprisingly amazing how Korea is the only country that has made it mandatory to make the resident cards and give fingerprints. This obligation is the starting point of bewilderment between the civic groups and the government. Japan was going to carry out the Korean-Japanese fingerprint system at the year of 1992. As a response, Koreans have declared that such a system must be abolished because it sets Korean-Japanese apart and treats them as criminals. The Japanese government has acknowledged Korea's position and released the fingerprint obligation system for Koreans and the Taiwanese in 1994. In 1998, the fingerprint system for the foreigners was also annulled. At this point, no one except criminals have fingerprints taken by the government in Japan. What solution exists for the government in Korea after recognizing the Japanese situation? Koreans protested the fingerprint system and now they are carrying out the exact same situation. This seems like an ironic situation to all of the protesters who disagree with the new identification card system. It is evidently an illegal act by the police force to make such a demand. It is true that they have taken people's fingerprints by force for the past 30 years without such laws allowing this practice. This act has gone on for 10 years despite the necessity for a clear law. Not only is it illegal and an infringement on personal freedom, its unreliable computer network worries people. The electronic resident registration card contains all personal records and is connected to millions of the electronic calculator's online system to be able to inspect thousands of people. It also has a data base with transactions and exchanges information of about two million pieces of data in one day. In the situation of computers being hacked in the American CIA and National Defense Department, it is hard to believe that complete stability with less technological skills exists in Korea rather than America right now in reality. In connection to this problem, information leaks cannot be left unaddressed. It can be outflowed by cracking, employees interior conspirator and more. By seeking all these problems and matters the civic groups are making rallies for the people to join and to keep track of the continuous fight against the government. The civic groups have already finished their first veto demonstration on July first with about 151 people and their second rally on July 19 with 1,453 people daily increasing. In addition, the group is preparing for its third meeting hoping to have more people joining and is also said that the third demonstration plan is not yet prepared right now. The civic groups says that more foreigners will be included in this matter and more activity is needed for a solution. After the first and second rally, the government's reaction was very surprising. A notice came from the police force saying that more than ten million residents have already made the new fingerprint resident registration cards and that it would continue to proceed with the fingerprint system. Receiving this reaction, the civic groups will prepare a constitutional appeal for opposition. Not only is the government bothering the citizen with uncomprehensible nonsense but the village offices are now forcing people to renew their resident registration cards. The civic group will send letters or complaints to the village offices and will continue with opposition demonstrations. The civic groups are playing an active role in this problem but many professors are participating in the demonstrations too. One such professor Kim Jin-kyoon who is now teaching in the Social Sciences Department at Seoul National University. He has presented many essays about the fingerprint system's refusal on his own homepage and in many other sites. He insists that the government has cheated the citizens and says that it is an infringement upon personal freedom. He is now suggesting the citizens who are about to renew their registration cards or have already renewed their registration cards to participate in the fingerprint refusal demonstration which will be in progress soon. Keeping in mind of all these facts, this nation must try to protest as much as one can to shout aloud one's rights. There are some ways such as not going to the village offices within the alloted dates, go to the village office but refuse to act upon the fingerprint or join the protest demonstration in public. If a citizen doesn't get his resident registration card, it can be replaced by a driver's license. Furthermore, it is to be said that if the citizen refuses to give his fingerprints, he cannot renew his resident registration card and can only use his original first resident registration card until May 31 of 2000. Starting from June 1 2000, people will no longer have any state identification in this case. In the movie 'NET', Sandra Bullock loses her own identity because her personal identity reveals somebody else and she loses control of herself. This kind of happening should not happen to the average citizen, but is becoming more possible if the government continues with the fingerprint resident registration card.