Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he will take the initiative to dispel public concerns over the country's My Number national ID system. The system has been marred by a string of errors, including more than 7,000 cases of people's health insurance data being mistakenly registered to others.

"I apologize for causing anxiety among the public," Kishida said.

He said he will spearhead the government's comprehensive inspection of My Number. The probe is to be completed by this autumn.

He outlined the policy of abolishing health insurance cards by integrating them into the My Number IDs.

He said the government is sticking to its plan to scrap the cards in the fall of 2024. But he said that the timing could be delayed depending on the results of the inspection.

Kishida said people who do not have the integrated My Number cards will receive certificates so that they can continue to access insurance-covered medical treatment.

Kishida said the government will disclose a mid-term report on its ongoing inspection next Tuesday, together with measures to prevent errors.