Will Mask Lines Disappear... Government "Real-Time Inventory Check via Mobile Phone" (Comprehensive)

Jang Seok-young, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced on the afternoon of the 10th at the Government Seoul Office that data on the sale of public masks at pharmacies related to COVID-19 will be opened from 7 p.m. that day.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] From now on, it will be possible to check the locations of nearby public mask sales points and their stock quantities in real time via mobile phones or PCs. To reduce the difficulty of searching for sales points or waiting in long lines to purchase masks, the government will disclose related sales data starting at 7 p.m. on the 10th. The government plans to minimize time lag so that sales information can be updated instantly within a maximum of 10 minutes.

Jang Seok-young, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced this during a joint briefing with related government departments on the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) held at the Gwanghwamun Government Seoul Office in the afternoon. This is a public-private cooperation model where the government discloses data needed by the private sector, and the private sector utilizes the data to develop services.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will cooperate with the National Information Society Agency and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to start providing public mask sales data from 7 p.m. on the same day. The Information Society Agency will reprocess the sales point and sales status data received from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, such as by linking pharmacy addresses, and provide it via an open API through Naver Cloud.

Additionally, to ensure smooth operation of mask sales information web and application services, four cloud companies?KT, Koscom, NHN, and NBP?will provide infrastructure free of charge for two months. The government expects that private developers, including portals like Naver and Kakao, startups, and developer communities, will be able to quickly develop various web and app services using the open data.

Vice Minister Jang Seok-young of the Ministry of Science and ICT explained, "If developers who already have app services secure data through the API, it is expected that service provision will be possible within as little as one day." He added, "Citizens will be able to check mask sales information by accessing mobile web pages opened by portals or developers or by downloading apps via mobile phones or PCs, which will reduce the inconvenience of purchasing masks."

Most apps such as Mask Alimi, which previously provided real-time mask sales status, have been suspended since the day before but are expected to resume soon.

The government plans to disclose the stock quantities of public masks remaining at pharmacies and other locations not as exact numbers but by ranges, allowing confirmation of whether items are sold out. Vice Minister Jang said, "We aim to update (sales information at pharmacies, etc.) within 5 to 10 minutes, and at the latest within 10 minutes, so that sold information is posted (on apps, etc.) for citizens to know." He added, "There may be a time lag of about 5 to 10 minutes, but we will minimize it as much as possible."

However, opposition from pharmacies continues. The Korea Pharmaceutical Association stated, "If the data disclosed on the app differs from the actual stock on site, consumer complaints may be severe," and argued, "It is realistically difficult for pharmacists to update mask stock one by one daily." Regarding this, Vice Minister Jang said, "We have had sufficient consultations with the Pharmaceutical Association. We will reflect the difficulties faced by pharmacies and deliver mask-related information as much as possible." He also mentioned, "During the process of verifying resident registration numbers when selling masks, sales information will be naturally entered."

Some voices have raised the need for regulation if excessive advertising or commercial activities occur on mask apps. Also, considering that a significant number of buyers who stand in long lines to purchase public masks are elderly, concerns have been raised that information gaps are inevitable even if the government provides information through mobile apps. Vice Minister Jang said, "We are continuously considering how to solve the information gap problem."