Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Korea to drop the term 'alien' from ID cards for foreigners
Alien Registration Card / Courtesy of Ministry of Justice
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
The government will drop the term “alien” from the identification cards for foreign residents and replace it with a more neutral term.
The Ministry of Justice said Monday that it will change the name of the Alien Registration Card ― after using it for 54 years.
The decision comes after the ministry's advisory group recommended using a different name, such as “Foreign National Card,” “Foreign Residence Card” or “Residence Card,” saying that many have come to feel that the term “alien” has negative connotations.
The ministry is expected to choose one of the suggestions for the new cards and change the design.
“We hope that foreign residents here will feel more included with the new name,” a ministry official said. “We will continue to listen to many people and try to reflect their voices in new policies.”