The Republic of Korea cabinet has passed the immigration law, revised, that asks all foreigners of 17 years of age upward to give their fingerprints and pose for photographs at the border gate for entrance into the country.

The cabinet meeting, held on November 3 under the chair of President Lee Myung Bak, made it clear that this regulation will rule out only diplomatic and official passports holders.

The revision is considered an effort made by the RoK to address the illegal immigration as well as curb crimes committed by foreigners there.

The freshly-revised law however has eased regulations on job change for foreigners working in the RoK. It allows foreign experts to take the new jobs once they report the change to authorities within 15 days since they are recruited.

At present, foreign experts have to get licensed from the RoK Government to shift to new jobs.

The new law should clear the congress before coming into force, scheduled for early 2012.

The RoK lifted the rule of taking foreigners’ fingerprints in 2004 under the pressure imposed by social organisations which protested it on the ground of human rights violations.

However, this action is a compulsory regulation in several countries in the world such as the US and Japan./.