Japan-Korea industry-academia collaboration to test the operation of digital credentials for university student exchange programs aiming for secure and smooth international utilization of VCs by a trust framework built by the two companies.
Tokyo – TOPPAN Inc. (TOPPAN), a TOPPAN Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc., today announced a collaboration with RaonSecure Co., Ltd. (RaonSecure) to conduct a joint Proof of Concept (PoC) trial for the cross-border utilization of digital Verifiable Credentials (VC)1.
VCs are digital certificates that allow qualifications and personal identity documents traditionally verified using paper to be securely stored as cryptographic signatures on devices such as smartphones. This enables systems to automatically verify the device data and its authenticity. For instance, when a student presents an academic transcript using a VC, the cryptographic signature from the issuing school allows them to securely and instantaneously prove its authenticity. They can do this simply by displaying a QR code from a dedicated smartphone app or by tapping a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader terminal.
As the first joint initiative between TOPPAN and RaonSecure for the international use of VCs, this PoC verifies from technical and institutional perspectives whether digital data, such as academic transcripts and enrollment certificates, can be used safely and smoothly across borders. The PoC trial will be conducted for university exchange programs between Japan and South Korea, with the cooperation of Soka University and Chung-Ang University in South Korea.
Through this PoC trial, the companies aim to establish a secure VC environment for both submissions and verifications, while also building a Japan-Korea trust framework2 and bringing us closer to an internationally connected digital society.
PoC Background
In recent years, the global adoption of VCs has been accelerating. In Japan, progress is being made on integrating personal ID cards known as My Number cards into smartphones, and various private sector companies are exploring the rollout of services that leverage VCs. However, when attempting to use VCs across international borders, a major challenge arises. Technical and institutional interoperability cannot be ensured because legal regulations and the technical specifications adopted for VCs vary by country. In particular, while progress is being made regarding government-issued IDs, the supporting environment is still insufficient for VCs used in the private sector, such as enrollment or graduation certificates issued by universities, and credentials issued by private companies and organizations.
TOPPAN operates security-related businesses and various digital transformation solutions on a global scale, driving initiatives such as PoC trials aimed at implementing real world use of VCs. RaonSecure expands initiatives to promote the adoption and expanded use of VCs within South Korea, including undertaking the construction of digital ID services spearheaded by the South Korean government. Now, the two companies will jointly conduct a PoC trial aimed at resolving the challenges of using VCs across international borders. By merging the VC issuance and verification infrastructure that TOPPAN has been promoting in Japan with RaonSecure’s track record and expertise—known to have helped build the foundation of the South Korean government’s mobile credential solutions and trust frameworks—the partnership aims to enable the international utilization of VCs.
This PoC trial will be conducted with the cooperation of Chung-Ang University, which has an operational track record with RaonSecure’s digital credential platform OmniOne Digital ID3 and Soka University, which has a history of student exchanges and ongoing interactions with Chung-Ang University and actively engages in international education.
Overview of PoC Trial
Date July 10, 2026
Participants Soka University and Chung-Ang University students
Details This trial will verify from technical, institutional, and business perspectives whether digital data, such as student transcripts and enrollment certificates, can be safely, smoothly, and mutually connected and utilized across international borders in the student exchange procedures between Soka University and Chung-Ang University.
Respective Roles TOPPAN: Through TOPPAN's VC issuance and verification platform, digitally issue various certificates for Soka University students, such as academic transcripts and completion/course histories, and verify digital credentials issued by RaonSecure.
RaonSecure: Through the digital credential platform OmniOne Digital ID, digitally issue various certificates for Chung-Ang University students, such as academic transcripts and completion/course histories, and verify digital credentials issued by TOPPAN.
Future Goals
Based on the knowledge and challenges identified through this PoC trial, both companies will aim to establish a method for VC interoperability between Japan and South Korea by 2027.
Furthermore, moving forward, they will expand the results of this PoC trial beyond academic fields like education and study abroad to various cross-border scenarios, including overseas employment, tourism, and global business. Through this, they will contribute to the realization of an advanced international digital society where personal digital credentials can be safely and instantly verified across international borders.
1 Verifiable Credentials (VC): Encrypted digital certificates whose contents can be digitally verified as untampered. They are built on Decentralized Identity technology, which allows individuals to directly manage and control their own identity without relying on a specific centralized authority.
2 Trust Framework: A common, structured framework in a digital society that systematizes technical specifications, operational rules, legal systems, and conformity assessments to guarantee the authenticity of data sources and content, as well as the credibility of people and organizations involved in transactions.
3 OmniOne Digital ID: A blockchain-based identity and credential issuance/verification platform by RaonSecure. Based on Decentralized ID technology, it supports the issuance and verification of various digital IDs that correspond to various details of identity verification and qualifications for a wide range of certificates.
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