South Korea’s plan to change the color of its passport to the same hue used by North Korea faces public concern.
As a South Korean passport holder, I sometimes receive an unexpected question when travelling abroad and needing to show my passport to others: Are you South Korean or North Korean?
The confusion probably comes from the fact that a South Korean passport says “Republic of Korea” on its cover instead of “South Korea.” Meanwhile, passports from North Korea say the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” instead of “North Korea.” It can be confusing if you have not been paying close attention.
This confusion is likely to become rampant with the South Korean government planning to change the color of its passport from the current green to dark blue, which is also used for North Korean passports. It’s a merely early step, but if the plan progresses further, passports from the two Koreas will look even more similar in the future.
The new design for South Korean passports is expected to be introduced starting in 2020, and the government is currently taking stock of public opinion before making a final decision.
Many worry that this plan would undermine the international value of a South Korean passport, which is the second most powerful passport in the world in terms of the number of countries with visa-free access. People with a South Korean passport can travel to a total of 122 countries worldwide without a visa. In contrast, a North Korean passport allows its people to travel only 11 countries without a visa. There is a huge gap between the two passports.
Some are unhappy about the new passport design because they believe the change is due to the current government’s “pro-North Korea” ideology. Others say the new design and color fail to demonstrate South Korea’s identity.
Sohn Hye-won, a Seoul-based lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea who used to be a brand promotion expert, is part of the latter group.
