AWS CMO stresses secure use of medical data at Korea’s digital health forum

Discussions on utilizing bio-data, considered key to digital health innovation, were held at the National Assembly, drawing attention.

Reps. Min Byeong-deok and Jun Jin-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea held a forum on Thursday at the National Assembly Members' Building titled “Establishing the Role of Private-Public Platforms for Linking Bio-Data and MyData to Drive Digital Health Innovation.” The forum was co-hosted by the Korea Digital Health Industry Association and the Korea Association of Personal Data Professionals.

Bio-data refers to information representing a person's physical and physiological characteristics. MyData signifies that the data subject (individual) has control over their data and can manage and process it as they wish. In March 2023, the Personal Information Protection Act was amended to introduce the right to request the transfer of personal information. In August of the same year, the National MyData Innovation Promotion Strategy was announced. On March 13, 2024, the MyData system was implemented across all sectors.

At this event, Rep. Min emphasized the current state of the digital health industry and stressed the importance of data utilization as its core component.

“The digital health industry is a future strategic industry that will enhance national competitiveness by simultaneously improving public health and solving socio-economic challenges,” Min said. “Amid intensifying global AI competition, strengthening data subjects' rights through the use of bio-data and MyData will become the core of national AI competitiveness.”

He continued, “Now that personal health information is regarded as a national strategic asset, it is urgent to strategically link bio-data and MyData to create an open ecosystem. To achieve this, establishing a trustworthy cloud environment based on an open platform and defining the roles of public-private cooperation are necessary.”

In the subsequent discussion, Korean and foreign experts explained the value of utilizing digital health-related data.

Rowland Illing, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Amazon Web Services (AWS), presented on “Building a Trustworthy, Secure, and Flexible National-Level Research Environment,” emphasizing that medical data should be utilized rather than left unused. He also stressed the importance of building infrastructure that enables the secure use of health and medical data.

“Data is like water. Oil is consumed and disappears when used. However, water consumption increases as more people drink and analyze it. If this water is left unused, it stagnates,” Illing said. “Data, like water, only has meaning when it is utilized, analyzed, and continuously generates additional value.”

Lee Byeong-nam, an advisor at the Kim & Chang law firm, while presenting on the topic “Strategy for Establishing a Trust-Based Medical MyData Utilization System with Private Autonomy,” compared domestic and international data utilization cases.

“Advanced countries, including the U.K. and the U.S., have a long history of utilizing valuable medical data. In the U.S., autonomous services are first created in the market, and if no problems arise, they operate under association-centered self-regulation. The government only creates laws when necessary to apply minimal regulation,” Lee said. “In the U.S., fewer regulations allowed the private sector to creatively launch services.”

He continued, “In the case of Korea, the intensity of regulations is significantly higher than in the U.S. or European countries under the Medical Service Act and the Personal Information Protection Act. We started from a disadvantaged position compared to other countries.”

The success of the MyData system will usher in a new industrial paradigm where companies with excellent data management lead the market, Lee said, adding that robust information protection and governance systems, considering the sensitivity of medical information, are essential.

Discussions also highlighted the need for startup-led execution and institutional support to create tangible MyData healthcare services for citizens.

Woo Sung-han, Co-CEO of LuluMedic, said, “There is still a lack of tangible medical MyData services that citizens can feel. Unlike financial MyData, healthcare has less impact on daily life, and we often hear in the field that it lacks persuasiveness. A clear structure is needed showing how personal medical data is used, how it is utilized in pharmaceuticals and biotech, and what rewards can be obtained.”

He continued, “Promotion is crucial. Public awareness campaigns explaining what this is and why it's needed must come first. Investment in this (MyData) sector targeting startups is necessary. As a service initiated nationally, with support from various government ministries, we will work diligently to create a successful service.”

Government officials agreed that establishing a trust-based ecosystem for the secure collection, distribution, and utilization of medical data is essential. MyData should lead to innovative services that enable citizens to participate.

"We should establish a consortium composed of medical institutions and various organizations through a public solicitation. We plan to create a new data distribution ecosystem where medical data is shared based on trust among participants, and where AI models and AI services are developed with revenue sharing,” said Lee So-ra, director of the Data Promotion Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT. “If a good model is created, it can be expanded to other fields. The Ministry of Science and ICT will proceed after carefully examining whether there are any regulatory issues."

Baek Young-ha, director of the Health and Medical Data Promotion Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, remarked, “Korea has a complex EMR (Electronic Medical Record) ecosystem centered on the private sector, so it seems more complex than other countries. We agree that infrastructure enabling joint use of research data and federated learning in standardized formats is crucial.”

Baek continued, "The ecosystem is extremely important for MyData. When many medical institutions participate, patients also become more involved, which in turn influences industry participation, creating a virtuous cycle. We will continue our efforts at the government level."