South Korea’s election watchdog said Monday lawmakers and political groups were now allowed to receive political contributions via smartphones, paving the way for new, fast funding channels.

The National Election Commission launched the smartphone political donation system on Friday in partnership with SK Telecom, the country’s biggest wireless carrier. Through SK Telecom’s mobile app Smart Bill, people can donate their money to lawmakers or political groups on the go, while freely choosing between credit cards and online banking as payment options and accumulating mileage points.

The service also allows donors to upload posts about their donation activities on social networks.

An NEC official said the service was intended for members of the younger generation ― the most active users of smartphones in Korea.

Since 2011, SK Telecom’s mobile app has been expanding as a leading payment service, and can be used to pay utility bills and miscellaneous fees.

By Kim Da-sol, Intern reporter (dasolkim@heraldcorp.com)