South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission said on Monday it published a personal data protection guide for users of generative AI services to help the public resolve questions they face while using such tools.

The commission said it has focused on strengthening corporate and institutional responsibility and improving systems, but that the latest guide focuses on improving AI literacy among users, a key group in the generative AI era.

The commission said it selected eight core issues with high public relevance based on complaints received from the public, policy proposals and major consultation cases. It said it then completed the guide after discussions by the data subject rights subcommittee of the AI Privacy Public-Private Policy Council, with experts from academia, the legal community, industry and civil society participating.

The guide visualises the process through which personal data is processed, from data collection to AI training and the service use stage. It also provides functions that users can directly check and control, including opt-out of use for training and settings to store and delete chat records. The commission said it moves away from explanations focused on complex technical structures or legal interpretations. It said the guide presents management methods along with answers to eight major questions derived from analyses of complaint cases and media reports, including whether input is used for AI training, precautions when entering work-related materials, and safety when linking external services.

Hye-sun Yoon (윤혜선), a professor at Hanyang University who heads the data subject rights subcommittee of the AI Privacy Public-Private Policy Council, said, "Generative AI has become routine, but it is difficult for users to clearly understand the process of personal data processing." She said, "I hope this guide will resolve key questions such as whether it is used for training and record deletion, and become a first step for users to check and manage their own personal data."

PIPC Chair Kyung-hee Song (송경희) said the guide's core is to help the public understand more easily and accurately the personal data processing structure that has been obscured behind the complex way generative AI services operate. She said the commission will support users so they can enjoy AI convenience while, when necessary, exercising control over their information in a substantive way through the exercise of rights such as opting out, and will focus its policy capacity on creating a safe and trustworthy AI use environment.