Gangjin County Wins Minister of the Interior and Safety Award for Blockchain-Based Public Rice Procurement Platform

Gangjin County in South Jeolla Province announced on September 23 that it had received the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award for its blockchain-based digital public rice procurement platform.

Exterior view of Gangjin County Office.

This platform has transformed the previously paper-based procurement process by introducing electronic signatures, QR codes, and blockchain technology. Farmers can now check procurement information in real time using their smartphones. The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation share data on procurement volume and grade, which reduces errors and improves administrative efficiency.

This project was promoted as a blockchain public sector pilot project by the Ministry of Science and ICT. With 1 billion won in national funding, the county developed the technology in collaboration with specialized companies. Since November last year, it has been fully implemented and verified at Gangjin County’s public rice procurement sites. On-site administration has been replaced by an automated system instead of paper documents, greatly improving speed and accuracy.

Both farmers and administrators responded positively. Errors in procurement tallying have been eliminated, and procedures have been simplified. The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service highly evaluated the Gangjin County case as a nationwide expansion model and is conducting research on introducing an electronic procurement system.