KT has begun operating a new personal data protection advisory committee it set up to prevent personal data leaks and strengthen protection of customer information.

KT said on July 20 that the committee held its first regular meeting on July 16 at the KT Pangyo building and discussed its operating plan and key advisory agenda items.

KT formed the advisory committee in May with external experts in policy and law, technology and security, industry and services, and ethics and user protection. The chair is Heung-youl Yeom (염흥열), an emeritus professor in the Department of Information Security at Soonchunhyang University.

The committee reviewed measures to strengthen personal data protection, implement amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act and upgrade its personal data leak response system. The advisory body will provide advice on strengthening obligations and responsibilities as a personal information handler, protective measures for personal information security, appropriateness of data use, and systems to prevent personal data leak incidents and stop recurrence.

KT will reflect the recommendations in its personal data protection policies and system improvements and operate an execution-focused governance structure. Sang-woon Lee (이상운), head of KT’s information security office and chief information security officer, and Chang-oh Kim (김창오), head of the personal data protection group and chief privacy officer, will support review and implementation of the recommendations.

Earlier, KT reorganised its personal data management system by integrating security functions that had been dispersed across IT and networks into the information security office, and appointing a chief privacy officer separately from the chief information security officer. It refined a chief privacy officer-led personal information safety management system and strengthened reporting to the board.

On July 10, KT also launched an information security advisory committee that provides advice on AI security, zero trust, cloud security and incident response. It now has a dual external advisory system, separately operating an information security advisory committee and a personal data protection advisory committee.

Chang-oh Kim, an executive director and head of KT’s personal data protection group, said, "We will strengthen customer-centred personal data protection governance around the personal data protection advisory committee and build a proactive protection system suited to the AI era."