Republic of Korea: Personal Information Protection Commission signed Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen pseudonymised data centres for Artificial Intelligence advancement

On 17 April 2025, South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with six local governments and their respective support centre operators to strengthen regional pseudonymised data use in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The agreement applies to regional centres that support the processing of locally accumulated data, including health, education, transport, and environment, for trusted AI-driven applications. It sets out enhanced responsibilities for the PIPC, local authorities, and operators, including staffing requirements, strengthened data protection measures, legal guidance, and tools for pseudonymising unstructured data. A new tripartite council will oversee operations, promote best practice sharing, and meet biannually.