Major South Korean credit card firms will remove the Active X framework starting later this week that has been the main cause for complaints from online shoppers in a bid to enhance convenient and faster e-commerce payments, industry sources said Monday.



Shinhan Card Co., the largest card issuer by market share; Hyundai Card Co., the fourth-largest, and NH Nonghyup Card Co. will adopt new security solutions based on .exe files, or executable files, which are used to run programs on every type of online platform, starting Thursday, according to the sources.



Lotte Card Co., Samsung Card Co. and KEB Hana Card Co. will start such services next week. BC Card Co. and Woori Card Co.already replaced the ActiveX control system last year.



ActiveX is a plug-in software that controls and protects users' computers but works only on Microsoft Window platforms, such as Internet Explorer.



South Korea's financial websites and online shopping malls usually run ActiveX to have their payments and identification programs securely downloaded to users' PCs. Users of other web browsers or mobile devices are unable to access Microsoft technology-based websites.



"With the removal of ActiveX, which has been a pain in the pocket in Internet shopping, South Korean shoppers can make their payments here as they do in online malls based in other countries," said an official from a local card firm. "We will be fully ready to help customers pay more easily and safely with their cards."



The Seoul government has made all-out efforts to reduce the ActiveX dependency since President Park Geun-hye last year pinpointed its inconvenience and restricted accessibility to local websites.



The government announced it will remove ActiveX software from public websites later this month and help develop alternative technologies in order to encourage the private sector to join the ActiveX-free campaign. (Yonhap)