South Koreans favor allowing AI to use personal information through a "prior notice, opt-out anytime" mechanism.

South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Personal Information Protection Commission reported that 20 of 25 discussion groups (80%) among 195 participants backed an “advance notice, opt-out anytime” model for AI’s use of personal data, rather than obtaining separate consent for each use. Support for that approach rose to 56.4% from 46.2% after deliberation, while backing for per-use consent fell to 41% from 47.7%. In the same public consultation, 75.4% said companies should bear responsibility for personal-data risk assessment and protection, and 74.9% said the government should set standards and oversee enforcement. The result matters because it signals public preference for a lighter compliance burden on AI data processing in Korea, which could shape rules for AI developers and data-driven services. The Personal Information Protection Commission plans to combine public and expert input to draft a personal-information system reform plan within the year, making the forthcoming proposal the next key milestone to watch.