Preemptive Risk-Based Management for Personal Data Breaches... Expansion of Information Security Disclosure

Announcement of Prevention-Centered Personal Information Management Transition Plan
Differentiated Management Based on Scale and Sensitivity of Personal Data
Expansion of Information Security Disclosures... Incentives Such as Reduced Fines

Starting from the second half of this year, customized pre-assessment procedures will be implemented in earnest according to the level of personal information leakage risk. The disclosure of information security activities will also be expanded to encourage greater investment by companies in information security.

The Personal Information Protection Commission announced on May 22 that it had unveiled the “Transition Plan for a Prevention-Centered Personal Information Management System” at the Economic Ministers’ Meeting. This plan is a follow-up to the report submitted by the Commission to the Cabinet on May 12 and aims to shift toward a prevention-centered protection system by identifying and managing risk factors before personal data breaches occur.

Song Kyunghee, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, is speaking at the 5th plenary meeting held on March 25, 2026, at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Cho Yongjun

The government plans to strengthen inspections and management proportional to the level of risk, so that safety measures can be implemented proactively. The foundation for personal information protection will also be reinforced by expanding protection-related investments, vitalizing the personal information protection ecosystem, and fostering a culture of trust.

First, a risk-based prevention and management system will be operated. The scope of personal information processing will be classified into high, medium, and low-risk groups, taking into account the scale of personal data handled, its sensitivity, and the unique characteristics of each industry. Different levels of inspection and management will be applied to each group. For the high-risk group, regular and ad-hoc inspections will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of internal controls. This year, on-site inspections will focus on platforms, financial institutions, public organizations, edutech companies, and long-term care hospitals.

For areas not classified as high-risk, measures such as conducting personal information impact assessments and encouraging compliance with the “Privacy by Design” (PbD) principle will be promoted. Self-assessment tools and consulting will be provided to help personal information handlers secure a basic level of protection. If necessary, joint inspections will be carried out by relevant ministries and the Personal Information Protection Commission. Through an inter-ministerial policy council involving key ministries, the government will share and collaborate on status checks and risk mitigation plans for personal information management in each field under their jurisdiction.

In addition, a basic risk map will be developed by analyzing the current status and risk factors of personal information processing, and this will be used to select inspection targets. An early warning communication system between the public and private sectors for personal data threats will also be operated. With the introduction of mandatory reporting for the designation of a Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) starting in September, the government will enhance cooperation with associations and organizations such as the CPO Council to establish a hotline for the dissemination of the latest threat information and to enable proactive response to similar incidents.

To encourage companies to invest in information security, information security disclosures will also be expanded. Companies will be guided to release additional details on protection measures and the internal control processes of CPOs in the disclosure of their protection activities. When additional protection measures are confirmed through disclosure, incentives such as reductions in administrative fines will be offered. For minor violations by small and micro businesses, corrective actions will be encouraged by offering technical support, thereby reducing penalties.

Proactive inspections will also be conducted in new technology fields such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and AI agents. The standards for ensuring safety will be revised in the mid- to long-term so that data handlers can determine the application and level of safety measures themselves based on risk analysis.

PbD will also be institutionalized. PbD means that personal information protection is built in by default from the planning, design, and development stages of services. Until now, the PbD certification system has only been operated for a limited number of products, such as IP cameras and robot vacuum cleaners. To spread the PbD principle, the government will distribute PbD guidelines and best practice cases along with amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act. The PbD principle will also be incorporated into existing evaluation and certification standards such as the Information Security Management System–Personal Information Protection (ISMS-P) certification.

Furthermore, management will be strengthened across the entire supply chain, including software as a service (SaaS), cloud, and specialized contractors, where large volumes of personal information are concentrated, and the government will promote research and development (R&D) of preventive personal information protection enhancement technologies (PET) and the training of experts to prevent data leaks and misuse. Additionally, educational programs for children, adolescents, and vulnerable groups will be expanded to enhance public awareness, and practices such as dark patterns will be monitored to ensure that personal data protection becomes a part of daily life.

Song Kyunghee, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, stated, "We will continue to work with relevant ministries to regularly inspect the status of personal information processing and vulnerabilities in key areas, and establish a prevention-centered management system proportional to the levels of risk."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.