Fourth session of national data public-private consultative body held to prepare for enforcement of National Data Framework Act; survey of public and private data holdings underway to identify assets for national-level management; Naver, Kakao, SK Telecom and financial firms among participants as focus shifts from supply-side to demand-driven approach

Participants discuss national data management and utilization strategies at the fourth session of the National Data Public-Private Consultative Body, held Wednesday at L Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Ministry of Statistics]
Participants discuss national data management and utilization strategies at the fourth session of the National Data Public-Private Consultative Body, held Wednesday at L Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Ministry of Statistics]

The government has begun laying the groundwork to systematically manage and utilize data scattered across public institutions and private companies at the national level, with plans to survey existing data holdings while identifying assets worth managing based on actual user demand.

The Ministry of Statistics said it held the fourth session of the National Data Public-Private Consultative Body on Wednesday at L Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where participants discussed ways to build an efficient national data management framework.

The session focused on preparing for the future enforcement of the National Data Framework Act, a bill introduced in May by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Cho Seung-rae. Key agenda items included assessing the current state of data to be managed at the national level and identifying datasets with high practical value.

The consultative body, launched in February, serves as a public-private communication channel. Public institutions — including the Korea Data Industry Promotion Agency, the National Information Society Agency, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information and the Korea Development Institute — participate alongside private firms such as Naver, Kakao, SK Telecom, Shinhan Card and Woori Financial. Professors from Dongguk University and Hanyang University, as well as media experts, are also members.

Two main agenda items were taken up at Wednesday's session.

The first concerned a plan to survey the current state of national data for systematic management. The core aim is to comprehensively assess the collection, storage, management and holdings of data already designated for national-level management, coordination and utilization. Those findings will then be used to identify policy support measures needed to activate data designation, management and inter-agency linkage, improving the efficiency of national data operations.

The second item addressed how to identify demand for data that warrants national-level management. Rather than simply collecting and accumulating data, the government said it intends to strategically seek out datasets whose value increases when linked with other data.

The government said it would move beyond relying solely on the judgment of data-supplying agencies and instead actively incorporate the needs of actual users and stakeholders — selecting data management targets based on demand rather than supply to raise practical utility.

The discussions are significant in that they signal a shift in national data policy — from securing data as an end in itself toward enhancing its real-world utility. By surveying data holdings across public institutions and private companies and jointly reviewing user demand, the process is expected to form the basis for setting national data management priorities.

The Ministry of Statistics said it plans to continue holding sessions of the consultative body to incorporate on-the-ground perspectives into policy, with the aim of strengthening public-private cooperation, raising the strategic value of data and delivering efficient data administration services that citizens can tangibly experience.


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