South Korea's Encryption Mandate: What Data Must Be Encrypted by Law?

Encryption Isn't Optional Anymore in South Korea

If you handle personal data in South Korea, encryption is no longer a nice-to-have—it's the law. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and its enforcement decrees mandate encryption for certain data categories. Think of it like locking your front door: you wouldn't leave your house unlocked, so why leave sensitive data exposed?

Featured Snippet Bait: Under South Korea's PIPA, encryption is required for resident registration numbers, passport numbers, driver's license numbers, foreigner registration numbers, financial account numbers, credit card numbers, and biometric data when stored or transmitted.

Which Data Must Be Encrypted?

The law specifically targets 'unique identification information' and 'sensitive information.' Here's the breakdown:

• Resident Registration Number (RRN) – the Korean SSN equivalent
• Passport number, driver's license number, foreigner registration number
• Financial account numbers and credit card numbers
• Biometric data (fingerprints, facial recognition data, etc.)

These must be encrypted both at rest (stored) and in transit (transmitted). Failure to comply can result in fines up to 3% of revenue or even criminal penalties.

Encryption Standards: What's Acceptable?

The Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) recommends using AES-256 for symmetric encryption and RSA-2048 or ECC for asymmetric encryption. Hashing alone (like SHA-256) is not enough—you need actual encryption with a key. For passwords, salted hashing is acceptable, but for the data above, encryption is mandatory.

Practical Steps for Compliance

First, conduct a data mapping exercise to identify where these data types live. Then, implement encryption using approved algorithms. Don't forget key management—storing keys next to encrypted data is like hiding your house key under the doormat. Use a dedicated key management service (KMS) or hardware security module (HSM).

For more details, check the official PIPA text on the Korean Law Information Center.

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