The Personal Information Protection Commission called for greater attention to the protection of personal information at a recent meeting with Chinese authorities and South Korean companies based in China.

At the meeting, which took place Thursday at the POSCO Center in Beijing, the commission discussed local trends and listened to the difficulties faced by the eleven companies in attendance, including Samsung SDS and LG Chem.

Commission Vice Chairman Choi Jang-hyuk said data is becoming the foundation of new technologies and services, such as artificial intelligence and platforms, adding that all uses of data inevitably raise privacy concerns.

Choi added that China is continually reorganizing its regulatory framework amid the global recognition that the protection of personal information is a core competitiveness that companies must develop, urging the companies present to respond proactively.

The vice chairman also visited an organization that oversees China’s internet content and the protection of personal information there, and said Chinese companies need to pay attention to the safety of South Koreans’ personal information.