The Personal Information Protection Commission (Chairperson Song Kyung-hee) announced its 2026 work plan at the Government Sejong Convention Center on December 12. The announcement was jointly conducted by the Personal Information Protection Commission, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Aerospace Administration, and the Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission.
In response to recent large-scale personal information leaks and the rapid spread of new technologies such as AI and cloud computing, the Personal Information Protection Commission plans to fundamentally shift its personal information protection system. To achieve this, it has established five major directions: effective sanctions and promotion of protection investment, proactive prevention and inspection in public and private sectors, building a trust-based AI society, protecting privacy in daily life, and establishing a global data trust network.
The Personal Information Protection Commission plans to introduce punitive fines for repeated and serious violations and add ‘compensation for damages’ to the requirements for class action lawsuits to effectively compensate the public. Additionally, it will introduce preliminary reviews for the Information Security Management System-Personal Information Protection (ISMS-P) certification, strengthen on-site technical inspections, and cancel certifications in cases of serious and repeated legal violations.
To prepare for new threats such as advanced hacking techniques, the Personal Information Protection Commission will conduct preliminary inspections in sectors handling large-scale and sensitive personal information and establish a ‘Technical Analysis Center’ to analyze personal information infringement factors proactively and continuously. Furthermore, it will support safety measures for startups, small businesses, and micro-enterprises that lack the capacity to invest in personal information protection.