A bill to amend the Personal Information Protection Act would add a new Article 32-3 letting the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) certify products with personal-data processing functions — hardware and software alike, such as network cameras, robot vacuums, fingerprint/facial-recognition door locks, and smart appliances — as designed in line with PIPA's protection principles and data-subject rights. The bill has moved to the competent committee's review stage as of 26 August 2026; it has not been enacted, and the certification it describes is framed as something a manufacturer may apply for, not a duty imposed on one. No threshold, effective date, or penalty is specified in the current text.

What this means for you

  • No action is required yet. This is a pending bill at the committee-review stage, not a law in force. There is no designation duty, no threshold, and no penalty attached to this provision as drafted.
  • If you manufacture or sell devices with personal-data processing functions in Korea — cameras, smart-home hardware, biometric access devices, or embedded software with similar functions — treat this as a certification opportunity to track, not a compliance deadline. As drafted, obtaining certification would be optional, aimed at signaling PIPA-aligned design to consumers and regulators rather than gating market entry.
  • Watch for how "certification" is operationalized. The bill anticipates follow-on rules on review procedures, post-certification management, and measures to promote adoption of certified products — details that could matter commercially even though the underlying certification remains voluntary. Re-check this bill's status before assuming the scheme is finalized or before building product marketing around anticipated certification.
  • Track committee progress. A bill at review stage can advance, stall, or be revised before enactment; the scope, criteria, and any incentives tied to certification may still change.

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