The Army announced the plan Friday during a logistics policy briefing at its Consolidated Logistics Depot in Sejong, led by Maj. Gen. Ha Heon-cheol, chief of logistics.
Under current rules, military gun cabinets are secured with two separate locks, with the keys held by two different personnel as a safeguard against unauthorized access.
In practice, however, some units have not strictly followed the two-key system for convenience, while lost keys have also posed recurring problems. The Army said maintaining access logs and key issuance records has also created an unnecessary administrative burden.
To address the issue, the Army plans to replace conventional locks with dual NFC-based digital locks that can be opened through mobile authentication. It will also expand the use of smart gun cabinets equipped with biometric authentication.
The digital locks will first be tested at three units, including the 9th Infantry Division, before the Army evaluates their suitability for military use.
If the trial is successful, the system will be gradually introduced across all Army units by 2034.
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