South Korea’s DAPA to build blockchain platform for transparency in defense acquisition projects

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced the details of its blockchain project which has been selected for '2019 Blockchain Public Pilot Project.'

The Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) and the Ministry of Information and Communication recently announced 12 projects that will aim to drive innovation in public services and discover best practices by applying the blockchain technology.

In a press release dated April 10, DAPA has announced that it plans to build a blockchain platform to improve the transparency and efficiency of defense acquisition projects, Yonhap reported.

The platform will allow DAPA to share information about defense acquisition projects with related organizations, including the Agency for Defense Development and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, and prevent illegal tampering of data.

"Through the envisioned platform, we will be able to improve the credibility of defense projects by sharing information about all implementation processes among those agencies," DAPA said.

The agency further said that the blockchain-based platform is expected to make the supplier selection process more transparent. In addition, the proposals will be accepted through the electronic system, thereby enabling automation and eliminating the inconvenience caused by conventional paper-based methods.

“It records and manages the whole process from funding application to final support of defense business (defense industry upbringing fund, defense small business policy fund) by block chain. This allows the vendor to see the relevant information in detail through the block chain service,” DAPA said (via online translation).