Apostille Korea handles criminal record certificates for nationals abroad Online issuance requires installing security modules and registering a digital certificate, which makes it hard to use from overseas.

Apostille Korea said it provides an agency service for issuing criminal record certificates to Korean nationals staying abroad. Online issuance requires installing security software and registering a digital certificate, and applicants who cannot apply in person must appoint a proxy.

The certificate that identity checks now depend on

As international attention to identity verification has grown, governments and companies alike request documentation of criminal history. Abroad it has long been a mandatory item in administrative processes such as employment and emigration, and in Korea it has recently become standard wherever career and identity verification are needed. Since the Oh Won-chun case in April 2012, the Korean government has required every foreign national applying for permanent residency to submit a criminal record certificate, and companies also request the document when hiring. Known variously as a criminal fact certificate, an identity check report or a no-criminal-record report, it sets out the applicant's own criminal history. Because it can include even expired sentences, the principle is that it be used only to verify the individual concerned, and disclosure is permitted only for reasons prescribed by law and within the minimum scope needed for the stated purpose. It is divided into a criminal record report and an investigation record report, applicants can choose whether expired sentences are included, and online and proxy issuance have recently become available.

Why it is hard to obtain from abroad

Because the document carries sensitive personal information, obtaining it is not straightforward. Online issuance requires installing various security modules and related programs, and registering a digital certificate is mandatory. Applicants who cannot obtain a digital certificate or who struggle with the web environment must apply in person. Those living in Korea are expected to obtain it themselves, while those staying abroad may appoint a proxy to handle it. That requires appointing a proxy along with documentation proving the stay abroad, and depending on the country the applicant must then also go through foreign ministry certification, an apostille or consular legalisation. Even with a proxy, the concern remains that a document containing sensitive personal information is processed through a channel the applicant cannot readily oversee, and a considerable number of nationals abroad still return to Korea in person to obtain it. Apostille Korea explained that it built a solution for issuing the certificate from overseas in order to reduce that burden.

Frequently asked questions

Source: 아시아뉴스통신 · 2017-04-14