South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission will run a call for applications to designate new operators for a new “Personal Data Innovation Zone” from Jan. 16 to March 13. The Innovation Zone supports more flexible use of pseudonymised data by improving the security of the data-processing environment.

The Innovation Zone manages the entire data-processing process, before and after, under a “zero trust” principle that trusts no one, the commission explained. It said safety is strengthened through measures including a dedicated specialist organisation with at least 4 staff, multi-factor authentication and time-based screen recording.

A total of 7 organisations have been designated as Innovation Zone operators so far. Users can carry out measures including easing the level of pseudonymisation, using various linkage keys, and long-term storage and third-party reuse of pseudonymised data for continuous and repeated research. The latest call is divided into a state-funded track and a self-built track. Institutions selected for the state-funded track, which is open only to public institutions, will receive 370,000,000 won in government funding to build and operate an Innovation Zone, including infrastructure costs such as security equipment and software.

Institutions seeking to apply should submit documents, including a designation application, to the commission by March 13. Applicants that are existing specialist data-linkage institutions, data safe zones or pseudonymised-data use support centres will receive additional points.

To ensure a fair review, the commission plans to conduct document reviews, presentation reviews and on-site inspections through a designation review committee made up of external experts. It plans to select target operating institutions in March through conditional designation. It then plans to verify whether designated institutions meet the requirements through on-site inspections, starting with those that have completed operational preparations, before making final designations.