South Koreans living abroad will be allowed to file for a national identification card starting in January if they plan to stay in their home country for at least 30 days, the government announced Thursday.

The Ministry of Security and Public Administration said starting Jan. 22, 2015, overseas South Koreans may receive resident registration cards to be used in their native country for a stay of 30 days or longer.

Previously, South Koreans were not allowed to keep their resident registration here if they moved to a foreign country.

The new legislation is intended to help South Koreans living abroad feel more at home in their home country and facilitate their economic activities here, the ministry said.

About 110,000 South Koreans living abroad are forecast to sign up for the national ID card next year, according to the ministry.

The ministry added that the law on certifying seals for overseas South Koreans will also be eased as part of the new legislation to be enacted in January. (Yonhap)