A digital certification system will be introduced in April by South Korea to verify a person's Covid-19 vaccination status via a smartphone application, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Thursday.
In a government meeting on coronavirus response, Chung explained that ''Since the beginning of the year, the government started preparing and already completed the development of a system that will allow to easily confirm the fact of vaccination via a smartphone. The introduction of the so-called vaccine passports or green cards is essential so that people can sense the return to normal life."
The system is set to be launched this month and it is based on blockchain technology to ensure protection from possible identity theft, according to the prime minister.
Medical staff, employees, and residents at nursing houses, were among the first to receive Covid-19 shots, while the immunization of senior citizens started in late March.
The Asian country rolled out its mass vaccination campaign in late February, setting a goal to inoculate 12 million people in the first half of 2021.
South Korea inoculated as many as 876,573 people, with 12,973 of them having received both injections. The country has also reported 10,698 cases of side effects following the vaccination.
