The high rate of connectivity in Korea has been instrumental in driving e-commerce growth in the country as nearly 99.5% of households have Internet access. In 2020, the ecommerce market in the Republic of Korea (ROK) became the 6th largest on a global scale, having gained as much as US$80 billion during the year. Yet the successful development of the ecommerce market was partly hinged to the effective implementation of online authentication systems.

 

Although high Internet penetration and digital technologies brought about a host of conveniences, it also enabled cyber criminals to perpetuate theft of private and confidential information, spread disinformation, launch cyber attacks, which affected many business websites.

Nevertheless, information and communication technology experts in Korea relentlessly pursued the development of measures in addressing the vulnerabilities affecting the country’s ecommerce industry.

As financial transactions and business activities continued to take place online, implementation of security measures for online authentication of identity became even more important. Moreover, access to information permitted new value creation in almost every domestic e-commerce sales, which made the sector the biggest retail channel in Korea.

However, it became apparent that establishing identity and trust online is more difficult than in an in-person environment. During the early years, cases of identity theft and unauthorized access to online platforms and data stored in the systems had hampered the growth of Korea’s ecommerce market. In response to public clamor for better and faster methods for online identity authentication and data access, the government took several trial and error steps toward developing tools and techniques for a broad and successful online authentication system.

Online Authentication System Helped Boost Online Business Operations in South Korea

Online authentication in South Korea has become a crucial security measure, not only in verifying the identity of transacting parties but also for validating the trustworthiness of the mobile online apps being accessed. Provision of the service is important in instituting consumer protection, broadening usability of online systems, encouraging digital innovations, ensuring reliability and achieving standardization.

As food and beverages are the most popular products sold via Korean e-commerce platforms, online authentication related to the processing of online food delivery orders became colloquially known as eat and run verifications. Authentication for businesses and consumers alike was critical at the height of the COVID-19 shutdowns as many relied on food delivery.

Another sector that benefited from using the eat and run verification systems is the covert online gambling industry in South Korea. Playing for real money at online casinos and wagering stakes on esports matches became more popular than ever during the pandemic outbreak.

Actually, there has been a growing number of mobile gambling app users even before the health crisis, making the online authentication service provided by private verification companies an important factor. Anyone needing 토토 검증 (Toto verification) to authenticate the genuineness and reliability of a toto (betting) mobile app can simply request an eat and run verification company to perform an online authentication.

A more straightforward method of choosing an eat and run verified online casino or toto app is to choose from the sites recommended as such by proponents of online gambling in Korea.

Although the government prohibits Korean citizens to engage in any form of online gambling, access to reliable toto sites other than the legal Toto and Proto betting outlets, is apparently an unavoidable trade off in the success of its online authentication systems.