National Data Office pushes for year-end enactment of data law

The National Data Office said it will work to ensure the proposed National Data Basic Act is enacted by the end of the year following a public hearing on the legislation.

An Hyeong-jun, head of the office, pledged to review opinions raised during the session and cooperate with lawmakers to reflect them in the final bill. The hearing, organized by the National Assembly's Finance and Economy Planning Committee on September 17, featured statements from four witnesses recommended by ruling and opposition parties.

"We will faithfully review the opinions presented at the public hearing and cooperate with the lawmaker's office to ensure they are reflected in the National Data Basic Act," An said. "We will do our best to ensure the law is enacted within this year."

The proposed law aims to create a legal foundation for connecting data dispersed across public and private sectors. Key provisions include designating specific information as national data and establishing a National Data Committee to oversee its management. The bill also mandates the designation of National Data Usage Centers to facilitate sharing while establishing grounds for safety assurances and protection measures.

Cho Seung-rae, chairman of the Finance and Economy Planning Committee who sponsored the bill, emphasized that the new agency must lead efforts to link data streams for proactive diagnosis of national issues. "The National Data Office should take the lead in advancing a data-based administrative system that organically connects public and private data to proactively diagnose national issues," Cho said.