Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO) CEO Sung Chang-hoon, fourth from left, poses with Orlando Vega Quesada, third from left, Costa Rica's vice minister of science, innovation, technology, and telecommunication, after a meeting at the KOMSCO Seoul Office, March 19. Courtesy of KOMSCO

Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO) agreed to collaborate with the Costa Rican government to share expertise and provide assistance for the implementation of digital identification initiatives in the Central American country.

The Korean state-owned company responsible for producing banknotes and coins and ID cards and passports with advanced security features said its CEO Sung Chang-hoon held a meeting with Orlando Vega Quesada, Costa Rica's vice minister of science, innovation, technology, and telecommunication, at the KOMSCO Seoul Office on March 19.

During the meeting, Sung introduced the concept of Korea's digital government and K-DID, a blockchain-based mobile ID system. K-DID securely stores users' personal information on their mobile devices, allowing them to manage their data directly.

Korea rolled out mobile IDs, starting with public officer IDs in 2020, followed by driver's licenses in 2022, and veteran certifications in 2023. This year, the country aims to set up infrastructure for mobile national IDs, with plans to issue mobile IDs for all citizens aged 17 and above by next year.

Most recently, the Philippine government has engaged in active discussions with the Korean government regarding the adoption of K-DID. This initiative aims to bolster the reliability and transparency of the Philippine digital government system.

Costa Rica, an OECD member country, is championing cross-government digital transformation to spur digital economic growth and social cohesion. In pursuit of this goal, the nation is advancing infrastructure development, which includes revising pertinent laws and regulations to facilitate the implementation of digital IDs for all citizens.

"KOMSCO's strides in digital transformation have proven so successful that other state-run organizations in the country are now regarding it as a benchmark case," Sung said.

He added that if Costa Rica adopts the K-DID model for its digital ID, it will also witness a positive impact in the international digital government assessment conducted by the OECD.

A spokesperson for KOMSCO said plans are being made to collaborate with the Costa Rican government by drawing from experiences in establishing and operating mobile IDs.