South Korea to issue vaccine passports based on blockchain technology.

The South Korean Prime Minister has announced the introduction of a blockchain-based vaccine credential later this month, but the practise has sparked controversy around the world.

South Korea’s prime minister announced Thursday that blockchain-powered vaccine passports would be available via a mobile app later this month.

South Korea is joining a number of other countries in instituting vaccination certificates, which allow for cross-border travel while reducing the chance of infection.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun indicated that there might be significant advantages for domestic residents 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,” he said during a daily inter-agency pandemic response meeting.

The software was created by the government using blockchain technologies to provide protection against the risk of identity fraud. “[Systems] in other countries do not store personal information while allowing vaccine status verification,” Chung said.

South Korea has vaccinated 77,000 people against COVID-19 so far, but the world saw 551 regular cases on Wednesday. By June, the government expects to have vaccinated 12 million citizens.

Brazil is now using a blockchain-based framework to monitor vaccines, and IBM assisted New York in creating the Excelsior Pass, which uses blockchain technology to protect details. The following is what the New York State Government has to say about the pass:

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

China has implemented a system and the European Union plans to do so by June. The International Air Transport Association is developing an app called Travel Pass, which may become the standard for cross border travel.

Vaccine passports continue to be extremely contested, especially in the United States and in some areas of the crypto world. Kristi Noem, the Republican Governor of South Dakota, named the concept “one of the most un-American concepts in our nation’s history,” while Ron DeSantis, the Republican Governor of Florida, is attempting to forbid compulsory COVID passes in the state.

Crypto can also play a minor role in thwarting attempts to enforce vaccine certificates that are not founded on blockchain technology. According to the BBC, the internet protection company CheckPoint uncovered 1,200 advertisements for vaccinations and vaccination passports on the dark web:

“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.”

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