Supporting national bio big data build for about 1 million people

Full-cycle legal services from legislative advice to industry application

Lee & Ko signs an MOU with the National Integrated Bio Big Data Project. [Provided by Lee & Ko]
Lee & Ko signs an MOU with the National Integrated Bio Big Data Project. [Provided by Lee & Ko]

Lee & Ko announced Friday that it signed an MOU with the National Integrated Bio Big Data Project (BioBigDataKorea, BIKO) to build a cooperation framework for advancing the development and use of biotech and medical big data.

BIKO is a research and development infrastructure project jointly led by four government bodies: the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The project aims to build an integrated bio big data platform drawing on the participation of about 1 million people.

The project secretariat is housed at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, a specialized R&D agency, and oversees the project's operations and management. The data collected will be made available through a secure analytical environment and is expected to serve as a core research foundation for advancing precision medicine and driving innovation in the bio-health industry.

The MOU was drawn up in recognition of the need to establish a robust legal and institutional framework spanning the entire lifecycle of biomedical data — from collection through to open access and practical use.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will work closely together on: advisory services for legal and regulatory reform to promote the AI and digital healthcare industries; policy advice on legislative strategies for bio data use and the establishment of big data-related regulatory systems; joint hosting of and participation in academic events such as forums, symposiums and seminars; and legal advisory services for the BIKO project itself.

Through this collaboration, BIKO will receive systematic legal guidance on issues arising during data collection and release, and will be better positioned to respond proactively to legislative and policy discussions.

Lee & Ko has built leading advisory expertise at the intersection of AI, data, personal information protection and digital healthcare. The firm's Tech & AI team — comprising about 100 specialist attorneys and former regulatory officials — supports the government and public institutions in developing legislation and policy across the AI and data sectors.

Drawing on that accumulated expertise, the team also provides comprehensive legal services to domestic and foreign clients on interpreting and applying relevant regulations, engaging with regulatory authorities, structuring AI-driven new businesses, and building data governance frameworks.

Lee & Ko has also recently launched a dedicated Digital Healthcare team, establishing an integrated advisory structure in which specialists from healthcare regulatory bodies and related industries collaborate with attorneys specializing in medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotech, personal data and IT. The team addresses a broad range of issues facing the healthcare industry, including digital healthcare, the use of health and medical data, new medical technology and licensing, and non-face-to-face medical services.

The signing ceremony was held at the BIKO secretariat in Jung-gu, Seoul. Attendees from Lee & Ko included managing partner Kim Sang-gon, adviser Ryu Geun-hyeok, attorneys Ko Hwan-gyeong, Chae Seong-hui and Bang Seung-il, and senior research fellow Jeong Won-jun. Representing BIKO were project director Baek Rong-min, Secretary-General Eom Bo-yeong, and team leaders Gwak Mi-suk, Kim Hye-ryeong and Lee Gyu-hwan.

Ko Hwan-gyeong, head of the TMT Group and Tech & AI team, said BIKO is "a national undertaking that must simultaneously serve two pillars — the public value of improving people's health and the growth of the bio-health industry." He added that Lee & Ko would "draw on its legal and policy advisory expertise in AI, data, personal information and bio-health to help government policy fulfill its intended public function, while also working to ensure that the data built up translates into real-world innovation in industry and contributes to strengthening national competitiveness."

BIKO project director Baek Rong-min said that "because building and opening up bio big data rests on public trust, securing legal and institutional coherence is paramount." He added that through cooperation with Lee & Ko — which has extensive experience in AI and data law — BIKO would "further solidify the foundation for the safe use of data and deliver outcomes that researchers and industry can tangibly feel."

Meanwhile, Lee & Ko was named one of the top-rated cybersecurity and data law firms in Asia for 2026 by Asian Legal Business (ALB). ALB evaluates leading law firms and attorneys across the Asia-Pacific region on their expertise, track record and response capabilities to identify top performers in the data protection and cybersecurity field. The recognition reflects the TMT Group's record of providing specialized services tailored to client needs across legal advisory work, regulatory investigations and sanctions responses, and litigation.


arete@heraldcorp.com