On May 14, 2005, Stephen Revere said this about the Alien Registration system
Korea’s Immigration Bureau adopted an excellent system to assist foreigners about three years ago. Prior to the implementation of this system it was very difficult, if not impossible, for foreign residents in Korea to properly fill out a document or register online because of the different registration numbering systems for Korean residents and resident aliens. The Immigration Bureau, to their credit, went to great lengths to resolve this problem by conducting a complete overhaul of the registration number system for foreigners residing in Korea.
The current alien registration system is now similar to that for Korean residents. Most importantly there are the same number of digits, allowing it to be inputted into the space allotted for Korean citizen numbers on forms or websites. The first set of numbers denoting date of birth, is followed by a second set of numbers that begins with a 5 (denoting a foreigner) and then a 1 in the case of males, and a 2 in the case of females. For example, the number 800101-5200000 would refer to a foreign female born on January 1, 1980.
Fortunally things have improved a lot in recent years. One example is I was able to get a KTF phone by giving my Alien Registration Card number and my Australian credit card (Mastercard) without the help of a Korean.
The KTF phone is my second phone. The first one was legally owned by my Korean friend even through I was the one that used it. At the time (October 2003) they (LG Telecom) wouldn’t let me have a phone in my name.