As blockchain technology grows to be more popular, governments have been implementing this technology in more creative ways.
The South Korean government is planning to implement blockchain-based technology in digital identification in place of physical cards. This digital identification that South Korean citizens will acquire will be in the form of applications on their devices in the future. The identification will have similar weightage and utility to that of physical resident registration cards.
These blockchain-secured digital IDs are expected to launch in 2024 with around 45 million citizens expected to convert their identification to this virtual form within two years.
Hwang Seogwon, an economist at Korea’s Science and Technology Policy institute, mentioned that this virtual identification can be used in government systems such as finance, healthcare, taxes, and transportation.
The director-general of Korea’s Digital Government Bureau, Suh Bo Ram has said that these digital identifications can greatly assist businesses that are yet to adopt online platforms.
The South Korean government through the newly applied decentralized identity system will not have access to information stored on these devices. Data on where the digital ID is going to be used will also be hidden from the South Korean government.
South Korea is the leading nation in applying technology to life, business, and government. This tech-savvy nation has been efficiently applying this futuristic technology to improve government procedures.
This is not the first time the South Korean government is applying blockchain technology to identification. In August 2020, over one million South Korean citizens acquired a driver’s license that implements blockchain technology.
While other countries are yet to apply the blockchain system in their core governmental activities, they are not too far behind. India has recently introduced the blockchain system when applying for FIRs as a measure to prevent reports from being refused or manipulated.
