In Korea, 12 banks and 14 airports independently adopted palm-vein authentication to eliminate physical ID checks. However, because the systems operated separately, users mistakenly believed they were unified, causing confusion and redundant registrations.

Biometric Check-in System streamlined airport identification. However, mandatory on-site palm vein registration unintentionally led to delays, creating queues of up to 20 minutes during peak travel periods. This bottleneck intensified traveler stress, particularly since passengers were typically pressed for time and burdened with luggage.

- Banks: They sought broader usage of their biometric infrastructure while ensuring trustworthy and safe deployment for public service.
- Airports: They needed to reduce airport congestion, and provide a modern and efficient check-in experience with digital transformation.

At the airport, I observed some travelers switching from standard check-in lines to biometric ones, only to experience confusion when their previous bank registrations weren't recognized by airport systems. They ultimately failed authentication, forcing them back into the original queues.

Through interviews at banks and airports, our team observed that users anticipated clear benefits from biometric registration but voiced strong concerns about data privacy. Additionally, users expressed confusion and frustration over the lack of interoperability between similar palm-vein systems.

We explored the potential efficiency to use the bank branch as a registration office for the airport. We looked at the accessibility of bank branches and interviewed bank managers about how many sensors were available. We then transformed 3,000+ branches, each with at least one biometric sensor, into off-site enrollment hubs for travelers. It was a win-win strategy for banks being able to expand the usage of technology, and airports being able to reduce the on-site registration load.

To unify biometric data between banks (using Social Security numbers) and airports (using names and phone numbers), our team at KFTC acted as an intermediary, securely converting SSN-based bank data into encrypted, phone-number-based identifiers. This approach effectively linked separate customer codes, enabling seamless interoperability while addressing critical privacy concerns.

We mapped the user journey and redesigned the biometric check-in interface to streamline the experience across both banks and airports. For data transmission, a new consent process was required for secure data sharing. Also, our team guided banks and airports to redesign airport check-in and bank kiosk to streamline the user flow.

While data sharing opened the door to a potential cost model between banks, airports, and our company, our team negotiated a cost-free framework by emphasizing the public-service value. We overcame early disagreements by aligning all stakeholders around a shared mission: reducing congestion, enhancing user satisfaction, and promoting broader biometric adoption.

Enabling interoperability between separate biometric systems required prioritizing data privacy; implementing double encryption demonstrated our commitment to safeguarding personal information and regulatory compliance, ultimately building user trust.

Over 500,000 travelers enrolled palm-vein data at banks within the first year. Roughly one-sixth actively used it for airport check-in—demonstrating meaningful user buy-in for a relatively infrequent activity.

This project reduced airport registration from 20+ minutes on-site to under 5 minutes off-site thanks to the bank system integration. The strategy eased staff workload and congestion across 14 domestic airports, cutting operational inefficiencies.