Gaebowi Appoints 7 Non-Standing Members... Completes Committee Formation

Yoon Jong-in, Inaugural Chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission
Photo by Personal Information Protection Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), an integrated supervisory body for personal information, announced on the 5th that it has completed the appointment of seven non-standing members, finalizing the composition of the commission. The PIPC consists of a total of nine members: two standing members including the chairman and vice-chairman, and seven non-standing members.

Among the seven non-standing members, two were appointed by the President, and the remaining five were appointed by the President following recommendations from the National Assembly, with two from the ruling party and three from the opposition parties. The members appointed by the President are Kang Jeong-hwa, Chairperson of the Korea Consumer Federation, and Yeom Heung-yeol, Professor of Information Security at Soonchunhyang University. The ruling party’s recommended members are Seo Jong-sik, Chief Lawyer at Sunwoo Law Firm, and Lee Hee-jung, Professor at Korea University Law School. The opposition party’s recommended members are Ko Seong-hak, CEO of Korea Information Certificate Authority, Ji Seong-woo, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University Law School, and Baek Dae-yong, Lawyer at Sejong Law Firm.

The seven non-standing members will serve a three-year term until August 4, 2023, during which they will perform duties related to deliberation and resolution on the establishment and execution of personal information protection policies of the PIPC.

The PIPC explained, "We considered regional, gender, age, and professional fields, focusing on individuals from academia, industry, legal circles, consumer organizations, and civic groups who have abundant knowledge and experience in the field of personal information." It added, "We actively sought experts with rich field experience to ensure policy judgment, public communication ability, and policy effectiveness."

The PIPC officially launched on the same day the Data 3 Act (Personal Information Protection Act, Information and Communications Network Act, Credit Information Act) came into effect, as a ministerial-level central administrative agency under the Prime Minister. It was elevated from a presidential advisory committee to an independent organization with authority over its own organization, personnel, and budget. The personal information protection functions, which had been dispersed across various ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Korea Communications Commission, and the Financial Services Commission, have been unified under the PIPC.

Yoon Jong-in, Chairman of the PIPC, said, "With the enforcement of the Data 3 Act, the PIPC, composed of nine members, takes its first step with the mission to establish a personal information protection system suitable for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era." He added, "Together with the members, we will put our heads together and gather wisdom to meet the public’s expectations for the launch of the PIPC."

Meanwhile, the PIPC also made personnel appointments at the director-general level on the same day, appointing Park Sang-hee, Public Data Policy Officer at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as Secretary-General, and Kim Jin-hae, PIPC Investigation and Coordination Officer, as Spokesperson.