The Personal Information Protection Commission of South Korea (PIPC) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have announced an increase in personnel dedicated to data protection within the public sector, following a decision by the Council of Ministers on August 25, 2026.

This measure, the first of its scale since 2015, aims to strengthen the public sector's capabilities in response to an increase in security incidents. It provides for the assignment of 54 specialized officers, including 39 new positions and 15 reassignments, within 31 central administrations. This decision follows a PIPC survey conducted among 653 public bodies, which revealed that on average, only 0.7 officers per entity were exclusively dedicated to data protection. The average staff per ministry will thus increase from 1.1 to 2.1. The allocation of resources was differentiated according to the volume and sensitivity of the data processed, particularly strengthening entities such as the Ministry of Justice or the National Police Agency, and equipping 14 administrations previously lacking specialized personnel. The PIPC plans to extend this initiative to local authorities and other public bodies and to continue inspections to consolidate the public sector's data protection system.