The government will launch a blockchain-based Covid-19 vaccination certification service from Thursday.

The government's vaccination certification service, named COOV (Corona Overcome), will be available as a smartphone application. People can download the application through Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), COOV applies blockchain and decentralized identity (DID) technology to prevent the possibility of forgery or alteration that a paper certificate may have and uses minimal personal information to certify the Covid-19 vaccination. The technology used in the system is from Blockchain Labs, a local blockchain startup firm.

Through the application, the KCDA only records information that can verify data's authenticity. At the same time, individuals can personally manage personal information such as resident registration numbers and directly decide whether to disclose additional information such as name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) plans to use COOV to confirm other vaccines in the future. However, for the time being, the application will only provide the history of the Covid-19 vaccination.

Users can use the application to prove they have received vaccination at various places, including airports, sports stadiums, and restaurants.

The KCDA plans to review the applicability of COOV, considering the level of social distancing and the number of vaccinations completed.

"COOV will compensate for the shortcomings of paper certificates, such as preventing forgery and alteration at the source," KCDA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong said. "We will do our best to manage the inoculated person's electronic vaccination certification safely."