The coronavirus epidemic and its implications for protocol-based governance

Simon Seojoon Kim is the CEO and Managing Partner of the South Korea-based blockchain accelerator Hashed.
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In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the failure of many governments and civil communities to contain the disease has clearly demonstrated the structural problems of building our society. The epicenter of COVID-19, China, exploited its old propaganda book by censoring the information. However, Beijing's attempts have revealed only the limits of the centralized political system; Information control has exacerbated the situation. Along with his dragging response, Chinese authorities added more confusion with the inaccurate infected cases and the death toll. Today, the country is facing criticism from international society for its coercive measures and its suppression of freedom of expression, for example, the closure of accounts on social networks or the establishment of covers -fires in big cities. A few brave Chinese citizens have spoken out against the Xi Jinping administration despite the censorship, and these comments have caused a huge upheaval in Xis management. The Chinese case shows that even when the government has tight control over the internet and finances, it cannot stop the public anxiety stemming from the survival instinct.

An unidentified threat naturally gives rise to fear, conflict and phobia. This is particularly evident in Korean society. Although many foreign media tout South Korea's COVID-19 diagnostic capability and transparent sharing of information as exemplary, the pain in Korean society is increasing at an uncontrollable rate. the Korean Medical Association (KMA) openly condemned the government for ignoring its recommendation for an entry ban on the Chinese people, and many Korean citizens have expressed their dissatisfaction with it government action through social media. In the meantime, pro-government experts question the effectiveness of the entry ban and say the restriction of movement will only inflict significant economic damage on many businesses and owners. small businesses. What used to be pure debates on quarantine policies and measures is now turning into bitter social and political quarrels, especially since South Korea plans to hold general elections in April. Ethnophobia and global social strife resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to persist even after the crisis is over.

The need for social unity is indeed at its highest level, but we are witnessing the cacophony of hatred and division devouring all of society. I think that the absence of protocol governance allowing social consensus is at the heart of this phenomenon. When people no longer verify or can no longer verify the allegations, the misunderstanding results in a difference of opinion. This is also evident in the COVID-19 crisis. The level of information disclosure regarding COVID-19 actually differs from country to country and from government agency. In addition, health authorities have not communicated with the public on the considerations taken into account in preventive measures and guidelines in the event of a pandemic. This stems from not sharing the logic and data behind the decisions made by government authorities. Meanwhile, fake news, misleading recommendations and unverified information have engulfed social media and messengers heightening public anxiety. The disinformation-laden Internet protocol again demonstrates why Web 2.0 cannot be fully trusted and how the flow of information can be faulty.

I argue that the governance of the blockchain protocol could potentially solve the aforementioned problems. For example, if public health care data could be shared in real time between experts and the public with 100% transparency, the data-driven platform will allow all concerned to share their ideas more effectively. And, this platform will allow experts who have made their voices heard in the media to participate in research on preventive measures or in the policy-making process. The more transparent the process, the more the public will have confidence in the nation and society.

In addition, this platform will enable mobile / web-based services that have played a vital role in the distribution of COVID-19 information to the public. Indeed, they will be able to provide more scalable and stable services. President Moon, Jae-in himself mentioned and applauded an app called Corona Map which effectively demonstrated where COVID-19 patients visited. However, as the number of COVID-19 patients increased in the hundreds, this application reached a dead end for a small team of developers who could not effectively show each location of hundreds of COVID-19 cases. And, I find the blockchain developer ecosystem as a good benchmark for building such services in times like this. We need a network without permission that allows integration of multiple applications without worrying about lack of confidence or lack of creativity. If Korea begins to build a blockchain-based healthcare platform that allows government authorities, medical experts and ordinary citizens to aggregate and verify data together, this will indeed open a new chapter in our own company.

Humanity has failed to effectively counter global threats such as global warming and pollution, let alone global pandemics. I think blockchain is a tool par excellence that allows any community to reach a consensus. Beyond what many have pursued so far in the issuance and distribution of digital assets from the cryptosphere, the time may have come to start building a protocol that all Society members can collaborate and agree based on trusted technology and infrastructure that have endless potential.