Abstract

In connection with the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the implementation of the Data 3 Acts in Korea, interest in processing pseudonym information is increasing day by day. Accordingly, Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) was the first in Korea to acquire 3 qualifications: Data specialized institution, Combination specialized institution, and Personal information safety zone. This means achieving two goals: data utilization and data security. KOSTAT runs 13 regional centers nationwide, including the Seoul National University Center, which opened in January 2024, and makes efforts to provide all citizens with the convenience of data utilization in Statistical Data Center (SDC). Based on the experience of KOSTAT, I would like to introduce more detailed information on the topic of ‘The use of pseudonym Information in Statistical Data Center’. This paper has three main sections. First, I will discuss paving the way to utilize pseudonym information. Second, I will introduce Combination specialized institution, Data specialized institution, and Personal information safety zone. Third, I will explain the expansion of the use of statistical data center.

Section 1. Paving the way to utilize pseudonym information. With the implementation of the 3 Data Acts in Korea (August 5, 2020), an institutional foundation was established to securely utilize data while maintaining the value of the data as much as possible using pseudonym information.

Section 2-1. What is the Data specialized institution?

「Data specialized institution」 is an institution that specializes in combining information sets and evaluating the appropriateness of processing pseudonyms and anonymity in accordance with the Credit Information Act.

Section 2-2. What is the Combination specialized institution?

「Combination specialized institution」 is an institution designated by Personal Information Protection Commission(PIPC) or the head of the relevant central administrative agency to combine pseudonym information between different personal information controllers in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act(PIPA).

Section 2-3. What is the Personal Information Safety Zone?

The Personal Information Safety Zone is a system that supports users to process personal information more flexibly with a safe processing environment, such as sufficient security measures and procedures for controlling pre and post data processing under the Zero Trust principle.

Section 3. Expansion of use of statistical data centers for public convenience

The Statistical Data Center has continued to strive to expand its use through free center visit training, holding statistics utilization competitions, and publishing technical note casebooks. Kostat 13 centers nationwide, improving accessibility for researchers in each region.