Starting this month, policyholders can receive premium discounts for auto insurance child riders and family bundle plans without submitting a family registry certificate. [Getty Images Bank]
Starting this month, policyholders can receive premium discounts for auto insurance child riders and family bundle plans without submitting a family registry certificate. [Getty Images Bank]

When A, an auto insurance policyholder, recently applied for a child discount rider, he did not need to obtain a separate family registry certificate. His insurer verified the family relationship directly through the public MyData service, and the premium discount was applied immediately — no document retrieval or submission required.

One more paperwork hassle tied to buying insurance or filing claims is about to disappear. Document submission procedures across insurance services that previously required a family registry certificate are being automated — covering everything from auto insurance child discounts and family bundle discounts that consumers encounter most often, to policyholder name changes and family relationship verification for insurance claims.

The Korea Life Insurance Association, the General Insurance Association of Korea and Korea Credit Information Services announced Tuesday that they will automate document submission for insurance enrollment and claims by making family registry certificates available through the public MyData service.

Public MyData is a service through which government and public institutions electronically provide personal information they hold to the individual concerned, or to financial institutions designated by that individual, upon request. Insurers have already been using 35 types of certificates this way — including resident registration records and vehicle registration documents. With the addition of the family registry certificate, document submission procedures will be fully automated across all insurance services, including enrollment, policy maintenance and claims.

The changes will be easy for consumers to notice. Drivers with auto insurance will be able to receive child rider discounts without obtaining or submitting a family registry certificate. Those with a fetus or a child aged 18 or under are eligible for premium discounts of up to 23.2%, though eligible recipients and discount rates vary by insurer and policy terms.

Family bundle discounts — applied when family members enroll together — will also become simpler. When a family member of an existing policyholder enrolled in a bundle product signs up for the same type of product, they can apply for the premium discount without submitting any documents. The discount is around 5 percent of the premium. In addition, procedures such as changing the policyholder to a spouse, or verifying the insured under a family personal liability insurance policy, can now be handled without visiting a government office or submitting paperwork.

Kim Cheol-ju, chairman of the Korea Life Insurance Association, said the reform "is significant in that it extends the use of public MyData across the full range of insurance services," adding that it "will serve as an opportunity to reduce the unnecessary document burden on the public while improving the speed and accuracy of insurance operations." Lee Byeong-rae, chairman of the General Insurance Association of Korea, said the service expansion "will greatly enhance consumer benefits and convenience in the insurance enrollment and claims process."

Choi Yu-sam, president of Korea Credit Information Services, called public MyData a "win-win policy that eases the document burden on the public while helping financial institutions improve operational efficiency with accurate data."

The service will be rolled out sequentially, starting with major insurers. KB Insurance launches this month, with Samsung Fire, Samsung Life, NH Nonghyup Life and DB Insurance joining in that order between August and October. The associations projected that full industry participation would reduce the administrative burden of roughly 3 million family registry-related insurance transactions annually.

Meanwhile, the range of services available through public MyData continues to grow. In September 2024, its use was expanded to the insurance and securities sectors — covering auto accident compensation claims and brokerage account limit removals, among others. As of April 2026, the number of available services had grown to 185.


psj@heraldcorp.com