Joint Venture of Three Telecom Giants PASS, Used by 35 Million... Soars in Just 3 Years

Mobile Phone Identity Verification and PASS Certificate Provision
"Security Concerns Reduced with Dedicated Network and Encryption"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] SK Telecom announced on the 22nd that the number of subscribers to ‘PASS’, jointly operated with KT and LG Uplus, has surpassed 35 million.

PASS provides services such as ‘PASS Certificate’, ‘Identity Verification Service’, ‘Mobile Driver’s License Verification Service’, and ‘QR Access Pass’. It applies security solutions including real-time mobile phone identity verification based on carrier data, blockchain-based tamper prevention technology, and secure keypads, which are only possible through telecom operators.

The PASS certificate is an authentication service applying white-box encryption technology, allowing simple authentication with a 6-digit PIN. Currently, the number of issued PASS certificates reaches 32 million. It offers easy login on public sites such as the National Tax Service’s Hometax and Wetax, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Government24, and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission’s People’s Petition. It is also used nationwide at convenience stores for identity verification.

Recently, the PASS certificate and identity verification service were introduced to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s COVID-19 vaccination pre-reservation system to provide vaccine reservations. The number of times the public used the three telecom companies’ authentication for COVID-19 vaccination pre-reservations exceeded 12 million in two weeks.

The PASS identity verification service is also used for mobile phone identity authentication on about 20,000 domestic websites. The Mobile Driver’s License Verification Service allows users to register their driver’s license under their name in the PASS authentication app to prove driving qualifications and identity both online and offline. It is the first commercially available digital official ID in Korea, approved through the Ministry of Science and ICT’s ICT Regulatory Sandbox. The PASS QR Access Pass is an electronic entry log service that places a widget on the smartphone home screen for easy QR access registration.

The three telecom companies plan to continuously enhance the PASS authentication service through dedicated networks and encryption systems, considering the ongoing activation of mobile authentication services, so that the public can use the service without security concerns.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.