Joint Press Statement by Commissioner Michael McGrath and Chairperson Haksoo Ko on the entry into force of the Korean adequacy decision on the EU

Today, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, and Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission of the Republic of Korea (PIPC), Haksoo Ko, welcomed the entry into force of the PIPC’s decision, which recognises the European Union’s personal data protection framework as equivalent.

Together with the 2021 European Commission’s adequacy decision on the Republic of Korea, this establishes a comprehensive area of free and safe personal data flows between the two jurisdictions. 

This innovative mutual adequacy arrangement covers both the private and public sectors. European and Korean citizens will now enjoy strong protections of their personal data when transferred between the two jurisdictions, while their companies and public authorities will benefit from unobstructed data transfers. 

This is the result of our close partnership, which once again shows our commitment to upholding human rights and fundamental values, including the right to the protection of personal data.

This arrangement will complement and enhance the benefits of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the recently concluded Digital Trade Agreement. This will not only further facilitate trade, but also joint research, as well as regulatory cooperation between the two sides. 

This arrangement will also be the basis for working even closer together to shape global discussions on personal data protection, artificial intelligence (AI) and to contribute proactively to the spread of digital trust worldwide.