South Korea will expand the use of an automated immigration system at international airports and seaports nationwide in the first half of this year in a bid to make traveling more convenient for foreign tourists, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday.

Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam unveiled the plan while meeting with chiefs of the culture ministry, state tourism agencies and Incheon International Airport to strike a deal to attract more foreign tourists through enhancing efficiency at the nation’s immigration checkpoints.

Under the agreement, Gimhae International Airport, near the southern port city of Busan, and Incheon Port, west of Seoul, will additionally have three and two electronic identification processing systems, respectively, by the first of this year, the ministry noted.

Currently, Incheon International Airport, the nation’s main gateway, and Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul are the only places where the unmanned immigration system has been in place since 2008.

To use the system, foreigners are required to pre-register their photos and fingerprints with the airport immigration office and go through the passport examination process.

The simplified process is in tandem with the full implementation of fingerprinting in December for foreigners who pass through immigration upon their arrival in the country.

Currently, only foreign nationals with criminal records are subject to fingerprinting, officials noted.

“Improving immigration convenience in airports and ports directly contributes to an increased number of foreign visitors to the nation,” Kim Jong-ho, the ministry’s immigration officer, said. 

(Yonhap News)