The Jeju Safety Code App Uses Decentralized Identity Technology to Provide Secure, Private COVID-19 Contact Tracing for Jeju Island’s 15 million Annual Visitors 

CommPRO Editorial Staff

Korea’s leading enterprise blockchain technology company ICONLOOP (https://www.iconloop.com/en/) and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province today announced that its blockchain-based contact tracing system ‘Jeju Safety Code’ is now fully operational following the successful completion of a pilot program. Jeju Safety Code provides secure, private contact tracing for Covid-19 for Jeju Island’s 15 million annual visitors. 

Jeju Safety Code was developed jointly by ICONLOOP and Jeju Island through a public-private partnership agreement. Since August, the system has been used at public institutions on the island. A pilot program was conducted at a number of businesses, including restaurants near the Jeju Provincial Office. Based on positive response to the pilot program, Jeju Safety Code was included as part of the ‘Safety Net Strengthening’ project in the ‘Jeju-type New Deal Comprehensive Plan’ in October. Already, 5,000 businesses on Jeju Island have completed applications to register for the system. 

As Korea’s most popular domestic tourist destination, a large number of people visit high-traffic areas throughout Jeju Island, making it crucial to deploy effective contact tracing methods. The Jeju Safety Code system simplifies this process by enabling quick access to an infected person’s record of where they visited, and who they came in contact with, allowing them to be quickly notified.

To use the Jeju Safety Code app, visitors scan a QR code at a business or tourist destination. Business owners can place QR codes throughout their facilities, allowing people to check in without congregating or forming a line. Users do not need to sign up for an account to check in. When a visitor checks in, their location is authenticated, without the business needing to store any of their personal information. 

“With the Jeju Safety Code, we’re working to establish a prevention system that works for both Jeju residents and tourists using technology,” said Kim Jong-hyup, CEO of ICONLOOP. “As our daily lives change, ICONLOOP continues to work towards a safer and more secure world through these innovations.” 

This process prevents forgery or the altering of visitor information. When using the Jeju Safety Code, personal identification information and visitor record information is encrypted and stored on the blockchain. This information is only used for the purpose of epidemiological investigation of confirmed cases.