Guidelines On De-Identification Measures" And The "Comprehensive Guide To Data Protection Laws And Regulations" Newly Announced

On June 30, 2016, government authorities responsible for enforcing data protection and privacy laws and regulations, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Korea Communications Commission, the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination, jointly announced the "Guidelines on Personal Information De-identification Measures" (the "Guidelines") and the "Comprehensive Guide to Data Protection and Privacy Laws and Regulations" (the "Comprehensive Guide").

By specifying (i) the criteria, procedures, and methods of de-identification measures necessary for utilizing big data, and (ii) the criteria for determining what qualifies as personal information, the Guidelines and the Comprehensive Guide seek to reduce much of the existing ambiguity associated with the concepts of "personal information" and "de-identification," and are laying the foundation