Authorities warn against fabrication of vaccine certificates

By Jun Ji-hye

Health authorities are warning against forgery of COVID-19 vaccine certificates, as related cases are expected to increase in line with the government's move to expand incentives for people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

They said that a sentence of up to 10 years in prison could be given if an unvaccinated individual receives incentives by using a fabricated vaccine certificate.

Vaccine incentives, including eased social gathering restrictions, are expected to be expanded further, as the government is considering adopting a so-called “vaccine pass,” which would allow only vaccinated people to participate in indoor events and access multiuse facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, entertainment establishments and movie theaters.

“As the country's vaccination rate has risen and discussions about returning to normal life are being held, the use of vaccine certificates is expected to increase,” Kim Ki-nam, who is in charge of vaccination planning at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said during a media briefing, Thursday.

Concerns over the fabrication of the certificates have emerged because most of the vaccine incentives cause inconveniences to unvaccinated people. For example, the government's envisioned vaccine pass system would require unvaccinated people to present a negative PCR test result every time they enter a multiuse facility or attend an event.

In Korea, three types of vaccine certificates are available: paper, digital and sticker types. Among these three, the paper certificate, mostly used by older generations, carries a higher possibility of fabrication, according to the authorities.

Some owners of small businesses such as restaurants have already revealed cases they have come across, in which a customer lied about his vaccination status by presenting a fabricated certificate or the certificate of another person.

One owner wrote on an online community forum, “A customer showed me a photo of a paper certificate saved on his mobile phone in order to enter my restaurant. There was no way for me to check if that was actually his own certificate.”

Concerns over fake vaccine certificates have been raised in other countries as well. According to CNBC, fake vaccination cards have been sold online from China to the United States, with some retailers selling them online.

Regarding this issue, Kim said that those who use forged certificates to get vaccine incentives can face up to 10 years in prison, in addition to a 100,000 won ($84) fine, while those who use the certificate of another person can face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won.

Health ministry spokesperson Sohn Young-rae said that the government will review the need to enhance its verification system for vaccine certificates after monitoring how the situation develops.

According to the KDCA, 76.6 percent of people here have received at least their first shot as of Thursday, while 50.1 percent have been fully vaccinated.