National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2020 Section 3. ‌‌Surveys and Studies of Human Rights Conditions 1. Surveys and Commissioned Studies A. ‌Study on Legal and Institutional Improvements to Align Protection of Personal Information with International Standards In response to new technological advances such as big data and AI, the Commission commissioned a study on legal and institutional improvements to align protection of personal information with international human rights standards, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. The study was part of efforts to protect the right to self-determination of personal information and present standards for legal and institutional improvements. The study looked at changes in standards for personal information protection in the United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Council of Europe; new technologies for de-identification of personal data and anonymized data; and key issues and problems surrounding the so-called ‘three data privacy laws’ that were revised following public debate on personal data. It presents some legal and institutional recommendations, with a focus on protecting the rights of data owners and increased accountability of personal data processing managers. B. ‌Study on Ways to Improve Human Rights Conditions in North Korea through UN Mechanism and SGDs Considering that North Korea is a party to five UN human rights conventions, has submitted implementation reports or is taking part in UN meetings, and is seeking application of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by establishing the UN Strategic Framework (2017-2021), the Commission commissioned a study to use the United Nations human rights mechanism and the SDGs as venues for cooperating with North Korea on human rights issues. 52