An independent lawmaker called for Korea on Tuesday to adopt a homegrown technology for smart chips used in electronic passports, saying Seoul has spent hundreds of millions of dollars so far in importing key components for the passports.
Korea, which started issuing electronic passports in mid-2008, has imported 116.7 billion won ($104.9 million) worth of smart chips to be used in the passports, Rep. Park Joo-sun said in a report, citing foreign ministry data.
Called "e-Cover," the smart chip and its operating system are embedded in the electronic passport's cover and contain citizens' personal information.
"Currently, key parts of the 'e-Cover' are foreign-made," Park said in the report submitted for an annual parliamentary audit session.
In the report, Park raised concerns about a possible leakage of personal information and urged South Korea to adopt a locally-developed smart chip.
"If there is little difference between local and foreign products in terms of technology, the government should use a local technology," Park said.
Korea began the issuance of chip-embedded passports in August 2008, as part of efforts to combat passport forgery and join the U.S. visa waiver program. (Yonhap)