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OmniOne Open DID Community
28d ago
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South Korea's government mobile ID, which is gaining worldwide attention as a best practice for blockchain-based digital IDs, is expected to provide more innovative public services and open a diverse economic ecosystem through the opening of private apps, significantly broadening its reach.
Since early 2022, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has issued mobile driver's licenses, and starting from June 2023, mobile national veterans registration certificates. On March 20, the ministry launched a pilot service for issuing mobile driver's licenses and mobile national veterans registration certificates through the Samsung Wallet (formerly Samsung Pay) app. As a result, Samsung smartphone users can utilize mobile IDs through the Samsung Wallet without having to download the government’s “mobile ID” app.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of February, prior to the private opening of mobile IDs, approximately 2.21 million mobile driver's licenses and about 10,000 mobile national veterans registration certificates had been issued. The Samsung Wallet, which is the first case of private access to mobile IDs, has approximately 17 million subscribers in South Korea. The ministry plans to expand mobile ID services not only through Samsung Wallet but also through various private apps. As a result, the number of mobile ID issuances and usage rates are expected to increase significantly.
By leveraging the subscriber numbers of private apps, there will be an increase in the number of issued IDs, and through integration with the payment functions and partnership benefits offered by these apps, even more innovative services can be provided. This is likely to lead to increased activation of mobile ID usage.
For example, previously, national veterans had to fully pay for movie tickets in advance when booking online, then present their ID at the theater to receive a refund for the difference. However, with mobile IDs integrated into private apps, they can now verify their veteran status online and complete the payment at a discounted price all at once, saving time.
Additionally, users can enjoy various convenience benefits depending on the partnerships established by private app companies. For example, when utilizing services such as stores offering discounts based on age, academies, ticket purchases, and various memberships, users can simultaneously enjoy identity verification and discount benefits through private apps.
By incorporating mobile IDs into private apps, various economic activities and service utilizations requiring identity verification can be made more convenient. As mobile IDs are further expanded to more private apps in the future, the potential for creating a diverse and limitless mobile ID economic ecosystem will increase through each app’s promotions, service integrations, and partnerships.
The expansion of mobile IDs through public-private cooperation is expected to contribute to South Korea's global leadership in blockchain digital IDs. South Korea is recognized as a leading country in blockchain-based mobile IDs largely due to the utilization of excellent technologies from private enterprises.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's mobile ID issuance system was built by RaonSecure, an IT security and authentication platform company, using blockchain digital ID technology. RaonSecure utilized its blockchain-based distributed identity verification (DID) platform, which is composed of distributed server nodes that are difficult to manipulate and FIDO (biometric authentication) technology, to establish this system. RaonSecure has previously demonstrated its technology and stability by implementing it in various agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's mobile driver's license, the Military Manpower Administration's easy authentication app, and the Sejong City autonomous vehicle platform.
An industry insider stated, “South Korea’s emergence as a stronghold for blockchain mobile IDs is the result of a powerful government commitment to solidify digital government leadership, combined with the technological prowess of excellent private tech companies and their unique market position, creating synergy. The opening of mobile IDs to the private sector is expected to enhance this synergy further and contribute to securing K-DID's global leadership.”
아시아경제 / 장효원 기자
