National Data Office holds microdata seminar as statistics day event

The National Data Office said Tuesday it held a seminar on microdata use at the Daejeon Statistics Center, bringing together about 100 people from government agencies, local governments, public and research institutions and academia.

The event, titled the 2026 Seminar on Expanding the Use of National Data, was held as an affiliated program of the 32nd Statistics Day, which falls on Sept. 1. It was the latest edition of a gathering the office has held since 2023 to share the research results of users of the Microdata Integrated Service, or MDIS.

This year's seminar also drew officials from agencies that produce statistics to share experience on using microdata for data-driven policymaking and explore cooperation on expanding data use.

The seminar was divided into a presentation session and an information-sharing session. In the first, four researchers presented studies drawing on microdata in the fields of causes of death, income, corporate activity and social integration. In the second, officials delivered practical information on the current state of microdata use, a strategy for generating and serving AI-based synthetic data, and sample design methods for statistical surveys.

"The value of national data is not complete simply because the data is produced; it is realized only when the data is used appropriately where it is needed," said Park Sang-young, the office's national data planning and cooperation officer. "We will raise convenience for users, centered on MDIS and the statistical data centers, and continue to improve service quality so that more people can make use of the value of national data."

The office said it plans to reflect the views of microdata users more actively in future seminars, diversify the topics and build user-centered data services.