[Opinion] Urgent Need for 'Data Distribution Policy' to Realize Digital Platform Government

Professor Shin Minsu, Department of Business Administration, Hanyang University

There is no doubt about the impact of data on enhancing national competitiveness. Among the 110 major national tasks of the new government launched in May, the goal of "realizing the world's best digital platform government where all data is connected" was presented. The aim is to utilize this to solve social problems and create new value together with citizens, businesses, and the government. Strengthening the foundation for the safe use of data has emerged as a key task to achieve this.

To establish policies for effective data utilization, it is essential to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of data producers, consumers, and intermediaries who handle the processing, refinement, and distribution of data between them. In addition to defining participants' roles, defining the categories of data subject to distribution is necessary to structure the data distribution market. This data should consider not only basic data sets but also the data analysis market, encompassing everything from processing to analysis.

Once the basic elements are defined, the next consideration is establishing technical principles for the data distribution system of the digital platform government. These technical principles should include the ability for independent development of core functions and components, and a system that can evolve without sacrificing scalability and interoperability of the technologies used.

Other essential considerations include interoperability that allows continuous data flow, a federated architecture that guarantees autonomy and decentralized operation of data distribution, and ensuring neutrality in data sharing. Above all, balancing the needs of the government and the public must be prioritized when selecting the optimal data distribution technology method.

Considerations are needed regarding the format of data distribution, such as whether data is transmitted from a single source to multiple recipients, as well as the frequency of data use and security levels. Particularly, it is essential to consider whether data producers retain their rights and the legal and ethical obligations related to personal information. When granting data access rights, the level of access should be determined by considering individual and social benefits, compensating for vulnerabilities arising from asymmetric data, and the possibility of restoring rights to the data.

For the data distribution model, a success factor of the digital platform government, to be activated, establishing an effective governance system is paramount. The most important condition is to build trust by providing stakeholders with clarity, control, and security, encouraging active participation and confidence in data sharing. The participation of stakeholders?including the government, regulatory agencies, data distribution platforms, data providers, businesses, and civil society?in the data distribution system through the digital platform must be guaranteed to balance their interests harmoniously.

Additionally, considerations must include enhancing equal and non-discriminatory access to data sharing that guarantees data democratization, fair distribution of risks and rewards among stakeholders in data sharing, transparency in data distribution operations, privacy protection and security design to ensure safe data sharing, and accountability systems to provide appropriate improvements to stakeholders.

Through the digital transformation of national governance, it is hoped that the digital platform government, with organically connected components operating effectively, will achieve its goals through the establishment of optimal data distribution policies.

Shin Minsu, Professor, Department of Business Administration, Hanyang University