[단독] Blockchain-based corona vaccination certificate, business selection is imminent

Input 2021.03.03 06:00

Korea Internet & Security Agency begins work on selecting a business operator
‘DID Alliance’ vs’SK C&C Consortium’

The government’s blockchain-based Corona 19 vaccine vaccination certificate developer is expected to narrow down due to competition between the DID (Distributed Identification) Alliance and the SK C&C Consortium.

According to the government and industry on the 2nd, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) recently received a project promotion proposal from the private sector to issue a vaccination certificate. SK Telecom, Raon Secure, ICONLOOP, and Coinplug-led DID alliances and private consortiums consisting of SK C&C, Yanolja, and Lambda 256 have revealed their participation in the project.

The blockchain vaccination certification project was structured in a structure that the Agency for Disease Control and other related ministries participated and created together. It aims to increase security by implementing the existing vaccination certificate in a block chain. The goal is to expand to the field of vaccine passports that can be used overseas when policy considerations for each country are discussed in the future. It has not been decided how the private sector will cooperate with the government.

A KISA official said, “(For the blockchain vaccination certification project), it was true that I met with the KCDC practitioners,” but said, “We cannot confirm concretely.”

According to multiple officials, KISA discussed the introduction of blockchain and DID technology to the vaccine vaccination certificate with the quarantine authorities. As the COVID-19 vaccination is in full swing, the need for a system that clearly proves this is necessary as whether vaccination can play a large role in overseas travel and economic revitalization. Overseas, there is increasing interest in digital vaccine passports.
The quarantine authorities are also looking forward to the blockchain-based vaccination certificate. Jeong Gyeong-sil, head of the vaccination management team of the Corona 19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, said at a recent briefing, “We are reviewing a block chain-based vaccination certificate.”

Sensitive information management and forgery and falsification solutions through blockchain

Currently, Korea’s quarantine authorities, like other vaccines such as flu vaccines, have established and are operating a system that issues vaccination certificates for novel coronavirus infections (Corona 19). However, the effectiveness still needs to be verified.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Defense Countermeasures Headquarters, said, “We are discussing changes in management standard guidelines such as quarantine exemption for those entering the country with vaccination certificates.” .

The quarantine authorities are considering measures such as exempting self-quarantine from those who have obtained a certificate, taking into account the epidemic characteristics of the corona19 infection. However, I am still questioning the possibility. This is because there are a number of tasks to be solved, such as uncertainty about the effectiveness of different vaccines and the duration of immunity, issuance of counterfeit certificates and leakage of personal information.

This is the background of private companies dealing with blockchain submitted proposals for pilot projects to KISA. It is argued that the issue of issuing counterfeit certificates and leakage of personal information can be solved with blockchain.

Several industry officials believe that through this pilot project, sensitive personal information and some medical information can be safely managed with a blockchain.

Officials who are familiar with the issue said, “As it is a structure in which government related ministries who are interested in vaccination vaccinations are involved, there is a high possibility that (a pilot project) will pass.” It is possible to solve the problem of issuing counterfeit certificates and leaking personal information.”

They also saw that the case could be extended to the field of vaccine passports if the blockchain-based vaccine vaccination certificate is in place. A vaccine passport is a digital certificate for overseas use that proves that you have been vaccinated against viruses such as Corona 19. It can be used consistently in all airlines, performance halls, and restaurants in each country. Internationally, smartphone app QR codes and DID methods are being discussed.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is piloting the’Travel Pass’, a vaccine passport, and the Israeli government is issuing a QR code-based Green Pass certificate. The UK is also discussing the introduction of a vaccine passport while introducing blockchain technology for vaccine distribution.

An industry official said, “Blockchain-based vaccine vaccination certificates and vaccine passports can effectively solve the problem of sensitive information leakage and reduce the range of uncertainty in economic activity for COVID-19.” I can see it.”

Reporter Kim Yeon-ji [email protected]

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