South Korea Works On Creating Blockchain-Based Vaccine Passports

South Korea works on creating a blockchain-based vaccine passport with the Prime Minister of the country announcing a blockchain-based vaccine certificate later this month. however, the concept is quite controversial across the world but let’s first read more about it in our latest Blockchain news.

South Korea works on a new blockchain-based project that will bring a blockchain-based COVID vaccine passport via a smartphone app later in the month, according to the announcement. South Kora is joining a number of nations that introduce vaccine certificates enabling cross-border travel while mitigating the risks of infections. Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun suggested that it is very important for the citizens as well:

 “The introduction of a vaccine passport or ‘Green Pass’ will only allow those who have been vaccinated to experience the recovery to their daily lives.”

The government developed the app by using blockchain technology as a way to provide security against the possibility of identity theft:

“[Systems] in other countries also do not store personal information while allowing the verification of vaccination statuses.”

While 77,000 people were vaccinated against COVID in South Korea, the country saw 551 cases per day and now the Government hopes to have vaccinated 12 million people by the end of June. Brazil is also using a blockchain-based system for tracking vaccinations while IBM helped New York develop Excelsior Pass that uses the blockchain for information security. The New York state government said:

 “Businesses and venues can scan and validate your pass to ensure you meet any COVID vaccination or testing requirements for entry.”

China implemented a system and the European Union plans to do it by June with the International Air Transport Association developing an app called Travel Pass which could become the standard for cross border travel. Vaccine passports are still highly controversial especially in the US and in parts of the crypto community with the Republican Governor of South Dakota’s Kristi Noem calling the concept “one of the most un-American ideas in our nation’s history” while Ron DeSantis tried to ban mandated COVID passes in the state.

Crypto could play a small role in avoiding the efforts to impose non-blockchain based vaccination passports with the BBC reporting that cybersecurity agency CheckPoint found 1200 ads for vaccines and passports on the darknet:

 “Check Point investigators found many sellers offering forged documents, including one supposedly from the UK, with a vaccination card for $150 using the hard-to-trace cryptocurrency Bitcoin as the payment method.”