Seoul Mayor still Bullish on Blockchain for Smart City Initiatives
South Korean news outlet Queen.co.kr reported May 20, 2019, that the Seoul city mayor Park Won-soon during the ‘Korea Future Forum & Blockchain Tech Show’ highlighted the use of blockchain and Ai in recording and storing data. He also spoke of his plans to integrate the blockchain authentication system in Seoul’s citizen card.
Better Services to Citizens
Though the South Korean crypto industry has been clamped down due to stringent crypto regulations, innovations with blockchain in mind have not halted. Not only private companies and startups are involved in this but also government officials. In April, BTC Manager reported of South Korean lawmakers pressing on the government to create a more liberal framework for cryptocurrencies.
In the latest, the city mayor of Seoul was reported to have participated in the ‘KFF & Blockchain Tech Show’ conference, where he talked about their involvement with the latest technologies such as blockchain and AI to deliver the best services to citizens. They will be used along with the urban and administrative data collected on “world’s best” ICT (information and communication technology) infrastructure to provide “new services that have not been available before.”
One such service, he specified, was for Seoul Citizen’s card that would ease access to various administrative services. He also pointed towards the integration of blockchain to ZeroPay, a QR-code mobile payment system backed by Seoul City, to “enhance citizen’s utilization rate and convenience.”
He also highlighted their accomplishment at implementing the blockchain technology into mobile voting. Park said it has helped eliminate any blocking and tampering from the mobile voting system. Furthermore, the blockchain technology is integrated into Chang’anpyeong Used Car Trading Complex that has helped them transparently manage the condition of cars, the contract of sale, and the performance information, Park added.
The integration of such advanced technologies will help Seoul take the leap to become one of the world’s best smart city.
Staying Ahead in the Competition
Park has been outspoken of the benefits of blockchain technology for a long time. It was reported in April 2018 that he had acknowledged the potential of blockchain and was looking into implementing crypto and blockchain projects in the city. He had also announced plans for the establishment of ‘S coin,’ a cryptocurrency that could be used within the city.
South Korea’s battle to get ahead of major countries like the U.S. and the U.K. also saw plans to help their blockchain startups gain more funding and parallel the average funding of startups from the Silicon Valley and London.
