Pre-release of the Revised Personal Information Protection Act Guidebook... Collecting Feedback

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The Personal Information Protection Commission announced on the 5th that it has pre-released a commentary on the Personal Information Protection Act reflecting the revised contents of the three data-related laws, including the Personal Information Protection Act, and is collecting opinions from key stakeholders such as industry, civic groups, and the public.

The newly added contents in the commentary include the main amendments to the Protection Act: ▲ additional use and provision without the consent of the data subject ▲ enhancement of data utilization through the introduction of pseudonymous information ▲ strengthening the responsibilities of personal information processors.

According to this revision, the commentary also provides detailed explanations on the relationship with other laws such as the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, which includes special provisions related to personal information protection, and the Credit Information Act. In particular, it separately includes 38 court rulings and 23 decisions by the Protection Commission related to personal information since 2016, as well as a Q&A section, to help the public better understand the Protection Act.

The Protection Commission expects that, at a time when the importance of personal information protection and utilization is growing with the transition to a digital society and the advent of the data economy era, this commentary will serve as a standard for data utilization necessary for technology development in the industry and as a guideline for the public, the data subjects, to alleviate concerns about personal information infringement and exercise their right to self-determination over personal information.

The draft commentary has been pre-released on the website, and opinions from various sectors including industry, civic groups, and the legal community will be collected, with publication planned for the end of October. The opinion collection will be conducted online from October 6 to 15 through the Protection Commission’s website (www.pipc.go.kr) and the Personal Information Protection Portal (www.privacy.go.kr).

Kang Yumin, Director of the Personal Information Policy Bureau at the Protection Commission, said, “As demands for the utilization of personal information increase with the activation of the data economy, the commentary on the Protection Act holds significant meaning for both personal information processors and the public as data subjects, so we ask for much interest and participation in this pre-release and opinion collection.”