The Personal Information Protection Commission will begin full operation of the Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency's Personal Data Innovation Zone, or Innovation Zone, from Oct. 23.

The commission said the Innovation Zone will enhance the safety of data processing environments and support more flexible use of pseudonymised data. It was introduced in 2024 to provide a basis for researchers and companies to use data more safely, and 10 institutions have been designated as Innovation Zone operators.

The Innovation Zone provides a safer data processing environment, including multi-factor authentication and real-time screen recording. Users can carry out measures that are difficult to attempt in general research spaces, including easing the level of pseudonymisation, using various linkage keys, long-term storage of pseudonymised data for continuous and repeated research, and reuse by third parties. It also enables sample inspections of big data such as video and images, and empirical research on privacy-enhancing technologies, or PETs.

The Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency also runs a Pseudonymised Data Utilisation Support Centre. The commission said this creates an integrated work system that allows safe and systematic use of pseudonymised data, from basic support through the support centre to in-depth data analysis through operation of the Innovation Zone.

The Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency plans to provide an environment that enables focused use of AI robot data needed to realise Daegu as an AI robot capital, a regional balanced development strategy under the current government, and healthcare data.