The government said Thursday that all new smartphones produced by local handset makers should adopt a “kill switch” security function to enable users to remotely shut off their devices, rendering them useless, to prevent theft.

“This will help users (to safeguard their data) if (the phone is) lost or stolen,” said a government official at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

Samsung Electronics will feature the kill switch on its new flagship model Galaxy S5, which will hit the global markets on April 11.

LG Electronics will also have the antitheft function on its new models to be unveiled from the third quarter of this year.

“Given that smartphones are being used as credit cards, consumers should have this function when they buy new phones,” the official said.

Mobile carriers had provided applications that allowed users to lock and protect their personal information. But they faced some limitations as some of those applications had been removed when users activated their cell phones.

The Korean government’s security initiative, which began last August, followed a move by California legislators who proposed last February a bill requiring handsets sold in the state to have the kill switch.

(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)