ISO/IEC 27701 certification in South Korea

ISO 27701 certification in South Korea at a glance

Privacy management in South Korea rests on the Personal Information Protection Act, enforced by the Personal Information Protection Commission under the Prime Minister. The Act sets principles and lawful bases, requires a document and supervision where processing is entrusted, and lists the permitted bases for cross-border transfer. ISMS-P, operated by KISA, is the national integrated certification, and the European Commission's adequacy list includes the Republic of Korea. ISO/IEC 27701 is the international extension that adds privacy controls to ISO/IEC 27001, and the Korea Accreditation Board's scheme list does not show it, so buyers should ask which accreditation backs a certificate. Controllers, processors and exporters of data are typical applicants. Sterling's Tokyo office prepares the privacy information management system, records of processing and transfer evidence, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement. Sterling does not certify.

Who needs ISO 27701 in South Korea, and what happens without it

In South Korea the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Controllers handling customer personal informationThe Personal Information Protection Act sets principles and bases for collection and use that a privacy information management system can organise.
• Processors and outsourced service providersArticle 26 requires a document when processing is entrusted, and the controller educates and supervises the person entrusted.
• Exporters of data to overseas group companiesArticle 28-8 sets the permitted bases for cross-border transfer, and records of each basis are part of the evidence.
• Companies exposed to the EU marketThe European Commission's adequacy list includes the Republic of Korea, which shapes how EU partners ask about transfers.

ISO 27701 requirements in South Korea

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO/IEC 27701 requires a company to prove six things about how it handles personal data.

In South Korea these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO/IEC 27701 explained →

• ISO 27701 requirements, clause by clause in plain language

How to get ISO 27701 certified in South Korea

One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Clients across South Korea are served from Sterling's Tokyo office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against ISO/IEC 27701 and the South Korean requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The ISO 27701 certification process, step by step
• ISO 27701 internal audit

How long does ISO 27701 certification take in South Korea?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In South Korea these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of processing activities, systems and sites in scope
• Existing ISO/IEC 27001 or ISMS-P certification
• Records of processing and transfer bases
• Certification body scheduling around the Seollal and Chuseok holiday periods

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 27701 certification cost in South Korea?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In South Korea these factors move both.

• Number of processing activities and systems
• Privacy documentation and training
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Integration with ISO/IEC 27001 work

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of ISO 27701

ISO 27701 consultants and certification bodies in South Korea

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 27701 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in South Korea are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

ISO 27701 in South Korea: questions clients ask

More on ISO 27701 for South Korean organisations

• ISO/IEC 27701: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO/IEC 27701
• ISO 27701 certification in South Korea and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards South Korean businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in South Korea often combine ISO/IEC 27701 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in South Korea →