One million South Koreans have now blockchain-based driver license in conjunction with the PASS smartphone app.
It has been reported by Statista that more than 3% of the entire driving population in South Korea sat at 32.6 million licensed drivers in 2019.
However, this is the first authorized digital identification card to be used throughout South Korea and received approval by the nation’s Ministry of Science and ICT in September 2019.
The project was launched in May by the National Police Agency in partnership with the Korea Road Traffic Authority, and the country’s three major telecommunication providers: SK, KT, and LG U+. By last month, 27 of South Korea’s driver’s license testing centers were using the PASS app to renew and reissue digital driver licenses.
More than one million South Koreans have signed up for a blockchain-based drivers license, following the program’s launch in May https://t.co/PvwO2leyG3 — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) August 13, 2020
It has been analyzed that the legally recognized ID solution can also be used for identification and proof-of-age requirements, such as convenience stores and retail chains selling cigarettes and alcohol.
Users show their licenses through a barcode or QR code on the app. Non-Korean residents receiving English versions of the licenses.
Other industries, including rental car and shared rides services, are also researching the ability to use these IDs as a replacement for face-to-face verification checks.
South Korea isn’t the only country to look at transitioning existing licenses to digital formats on the blockchain, thus, in late 2018, Australia’s NSW government announced the trial of Ethereum-based digital licenses which can replace physical ones.
Source: Cointelegraph | Image: ZDNet