[5] On 21 December 2021, issuing the next generation biometric passports to South Korean citizens has begun, which was delayed by one year as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Korean ordinary passports are dark blue, with the National Emblem of the Republic of Korea emblazoned in gold in the top right of the front cover.

Lastly, the stylized Taegeuk pattern with dotted circles is embossed on the left side of the front cover.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed the "Committee for Promoting e-Passports" in April 2006, which scheduled to issue biometric passports during the second half of 2008.

[5] Inside the first page, a caution for the biometric chip is written both in Korean, 주의 이 여권에는 민감한 전자 칩이 내장되어 있습니다.

여권을 접거나 구멍을 뚫거나 극한 환경(온도,습도)에 노출하면 여권이 손상될 수 있으니 주의하여 주시기 바랍니다.

and in English, Caution This passport contains sensitive electronics, For best performance please do not bend, perforate or expose to extreme temperatures or excess moisture.

In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay, as long as the traveler does not land on third country, i.e. non-Korean, territory.

In 1998, visa-free travel to the tourist resort of Mount Kumgang and the Kaesong Industrial Region was made possible under the "sunshine policy" orchestrated by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

In July 2008, a female tourist named Park Wang-ja was shot to death by a North Korean guard on a beach near Mount Kumgang, which led to the suspension of the tours.

The South Korean government has banned Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen as travel destinations for safety reasons.