Foreigners allowed to use automated immigration checks from October

The justice ministry announced Sunday that foreign nationals residing in South Korea will be able to use automated immigration checks at airports without pre-registration beginning in October.

Following this change, foreigners and people of Korean descent with foreign nationality residing in the country can enjoy easy access to the automated passport control kiosks.

Currently, foreign nationals must sign up beforehand to use the system, whereas pre-registration isn't required for South Koreans.

The ministry said only 3.2 percent of the foreigners are using the automated system, compared to 50.4 percent for South Korean travelers.

Foreigners with under a month left on their visa on the day of their travel must register before using the unmanned system. (Yonhap)