The South Korean government continues to demonstrate a keen interest in blockchain technology. And it’s putting its literal money where its figurative mouth is.

The Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) announced last week that it and the Ministry of Science and ICT had selected 10 public blockchain trial projects for 2020.

The government will spend KRW 600 million won per project for a total budget of KRW 6 billion.

According to the Korean-language blockchain news outlet The Block Post, the government has begun recruiting companies to carry out the projects. Would-be participants will be screened in March, after which the projects will launch in earnest.

The projects are:

  • a digital evidence management system for the police;
  • an outdoor crop production and distribution management system for the country’s rural development authority;
  • a welfare management system for the Ministry of Health and Welfare;
  • a food safety data platform for the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety;
  • a chronic disease management platform for Gangwon Province;
  • a DID-based regional public service platform for South Gyeongsang Province;
  • an autonomous vehicle platform for Sejong City;
  • a mutual trust tool system for the national highway authority;
  • a smart sewer water quality control system for Busan;
  • an electric battery life cycle management system for Jeju (a multi-year project that began last year)

This is the third year the government has chosen public blockchain trial projects.

At a briefing session on Friday, Min Gyeong-sik, the head of KISA’s blockchain center, said some of the projects selected this year utilize decentralized ID (DID), reflecting the recent interest in the concept.

For example, Sejong City’s autonomous vehicle project plans to use DID for vehicle and passenger authentication. As the municipality has been designated a regulatory special zone for self-driving cars, the trial project offers exciting opportunities for synergy.

South Gyeongsang Province’s DID-based public services program and Busan’s sewer water quality systems use DID, too. 

Also in the Korea blockchain space…

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