Today, South Korea’s SK Telekom announced the commercial launch of a blockchain-based digital identity app developed with telecom companies KT and LG U+. Called ‘Pass’, the app enables verification of the user’s driving license to enable authentication for different services.
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The identity authentication app has been around since 2018, and the digital driving license feature has been added in the recent update. Each telecom firm has its own Pass app and a person can only be registered with one of them.
An example of an application is a person proving they are of drinking age without sharing personal information like their address.
The solution is linked to the license verification system of the National Police Agency and the Korea Highway Traffic Authority. This allows a real-time verification of a user’s identity. The app also links to the device identity on which it is installed, thus preventing fraudulent use.
The user needs to show the license photo and the QR code the app displays for authentications when asked. Personal information, such as birthdate and address, are not divulged. For privacy, the driving license is encrypted and stored on the user’s mobile device. The mobile phone operators say they store the minimum personal data necessary to operate the service, and that data cannot be associated with a natural person.
“This is the first time in Korea to provide a nationwide digital driver’s license verification service,” said Lee Tong from SK Telekom in its announcement. “Pass mobile driving license verification service will be rapidly expanded in the future to expand the field of use. And mobile for financial transactions.”
The solution primarily performs the following functions — authenticate the user, the SIM card, the PIN and biometrics, validate certificates and allow digital signatures through phone numbers. While the initial use case involves driver’s license authentication, the three carriers plan to scale the solution for other authentication services.
Convenience stores and driving tests
An immediate use case has been developed for the identification of persons at CU and GS25 convenience store chains in South Korea. The goal is to prevent the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors. Using the Pass app, the store employee can scan the barcode displayed on the mobile app to verify if the buyer is of age to purchase liquor.
Meanwhile, Pass will also be used at the National Driver’s License Test Center for renewal and issuance of a license. The citizens will be given the license using the ‘Pass’ app instead of a physical card.
Other digital identity ventures
SK Telekom, KT, and LG U+ have been actively exploring blockchain-based digital identity over the past few years.
The three telcos are part of the Initial DID Association, a decentralized identity consortium hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). It uses the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain.
Before the consortium had a name, the trio announced they were working with Samsung, KEB Hana Bank, Woori Bank, and IT company Koscom to build a self-sovereign identity (SSI) app.
Meanwhile, SK Telekom has a partnership with Deutsche Telekom for blockchain digital identity.
SK Telecom introduced on July 29 'Goyohan Mobility,' a ride-hailing service designed for deaf drivers, in cooperation with Coactus. a social venture operating 'Goyohan Taxi,' a taxi service driven by deaf drivers.
Coactus has been operating Goyohan Taxi since June 2018. To make customers feel more comfortable towards deaf drivers, it equipped the taxis with tablets installed with an app that enables smooth communication between passengers and deaf taxi drivers.
SK Telecom joined Coactus’s efforts to support people with hearing loss by upgrading the Goyohan Taxi service.
The company not only connected the service to T Map Taxi, its taxi-hailing app, but also developed and applied a feature that provides flashing alerts to notify drivers of incoming calls as well as a messaging feature that enables communication between drivers and customers before starting a journey.
It also began operating a program to recruit and nurture deaf taxi drivers by providing education and training to help them obtain a taxi license to get a new job opportunity. So far, the program has produced a total of 62 taxi drivers.
Moreover, SK Telecom is running a special support center to address the challenges and difficulties deaf drivers experience on the job through video calls in sign language.
Their efforts led to international recognition and awards. In February 2020, the two companies won the ‘Best Use of Mobile for Accessibility & Inclusion’ category of the GSMA Global Mobile Awards 2020 (GLOMO Awards).
SK Telecom and Coactus announced that they have extended their collaboration to introduce a new service developed for deaf drivers. Named Goyohan Mobility, the app-based ride-hailing service powered by SK Telecom’s advanced technologies, will launch in Korea on Aug. 1, 2020.
To enhance the safety and convenience of deaf drivers, SK Telecom equipped the vehicles with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) specially developed for deaf drivers, and provided the drivers with T Care Smart Watch, a smart device also tailored to their needs.
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The ADAS provides forward collision, lane departure and pedestrian collision warnings not only on a display screen but also through vibration on T Care Smart Watch worn around the driver’s wrist. In emergency situations, drivers can simply press the SOS button on the smart watch to make immediate contact with the police and transmit the driver’s real-time location.
Moreover, Goyohan Mobility is expected to create a stable work environment as the drivers will be hired directly by Coactus and receive monthly salaries. Coactus will start by operating a total of 10 vehicles driven by 15 deaf drivers, and plans to increase these numbers to 100 vehicles and 200 drivers by 2021.
“Our partnership with Coactus highlights our commitment to create social value and business value simultaneously,” said Yeo Ji-young, vice president and head of Open Collaboration Group of SK Telecom. “We will continue to seek innovative ways to address social issues, including employment of people with disabilities, by fully utilizing our ICT to strengthen social safety net for the underprivileged.”
Sk Telecom Dividend
“We are excited to launch Goyohan Mobility through our ongoing collaboration with SK Telecom,” said Song Min-pyo, CEO of Coactus. “Through the use of technology, we will not only provide quality jobs to people with hearing impairments, but at the same time make sure that Goyohan Mobility becomes well-received by the public for its high quality services”