K-PIPA
South Korea's stringent personal data protection regulation
ISO 45001
International standard for occupational health and safety management.
Quick Verdict
K-PIPA mandates strict data privacy for Korean entities handling personal info, while ISO 45001 is a voluntary global standard for occupational health and safety management. Companies adopt K-PIPA for legal compliance in Korea; ISO 45001 for safety certification and risk reduction.
K-PIPA
Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
Key Features
- Mandates independent Chief Privacy Officers for all handlers
- Requires granular explicit consent for sensitive processing
- Enforces 72-hour breach notifications to data subjects
- Applies extraterritorially to foreign entities targeting Koreans
- Imposes fines up to 3% of annual global revenue
ISO 45001
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Key Features
- Leadership accountability and worker participation requirements
- Risk-based planning with hierarchy of controls
- Operational controls for contractors and change management
- PDCA cycle aligned with Annex SL for integration
- Performance evaluation via audits and continual improvement
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
K-PIPA Details
What It Is
K-PIPA, or Personal Information Protection Act, is South Korea's comprehensive data protection regulation enacted in 2011 with major amendments in 2020, 2023, and 2024. It governs collection, use, storage, transfer, and destruction of personal, sensitive, and unique identification information by all data handlers, domestic and foreign. Adopting a consent-centric, risk-based approach, it emphasizes transparency, purpose limitation, and data minimization.
Key Components
- **Core principlesExplicit consent, security safeguards, data subject rights (access, erasure, portability within 10 days).
- Overarching obligations like mandatory CPOs, encryption, breach response.
- No fixed control count; scaled by entity size (e.g., large handlers notify PIPC periodically).
- Enforced by PIPC with revenue-based fines up to 3%.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mandatory for handlers of Korean residents' data to avoid fines (e.g., Google's KRW 70B penalty).
- Builds trust, enables EU adequacy data flows, mitigates breach risks.
- Strategic for market access, AI compliance, competitive differentiation in Asia-Pacific.
Implementation Overview
Phased: Gap analysis, CPO appointment, consent tools, security per 2024 Guidelines, audits. Applies universally to businesses processing Korean data; no certification but PIPC tools/ISMS-P aid. Involves training, vendor contracts, automated rights portals; 12-18 months typical for mid-size firms.
ISO 45001 Details
What It Is
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS). It provides a framework to prevent work-related injuries and ill health, improve OH&S performance, using a risk-based, PDCA cycle approach aligned with Annex SL for integration with other ISO standards.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10 covering context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
- Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker participation, and contractor management.
- Built on PDCA and high-level structure; certification via third-party audits.
Why Organizations Use It
- Reduces incidents, legal risks, and costs; enhances resilience and reputation.
- Meets stakeholder expectations; supports integrated management systems.
- Drives continual improvement and competitive advantage in high-risk sectors.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits, certification.
- Scalable for all sizes/industries; 6-12 months typical; requires leadership commitment.
Key Differences
| Aspect | K-PIPA | ISO 45001 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Personal data protection and privacy | Occupational health and safety management |
| Industry | All sectors handling Korean data | All industries worldwide |
| Nature | Mandatory national law | Voluntary certification standard |
| Testing | PIPC investigations and audits | Internal audits and certification |
| Penalties | Fines up to 3% revenue, imprisonment | Loss of certification, no legal fines |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about K-PIPA and ISO 45001
K-PIPA FAQ
ISO 45001 FAQ
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