Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, pledged on the 16th to promote the ‘Special Law for Data Special Zones’ to elevate Busan as a global data hub.
Domestic data centers (IDC) are concentrated in the metropolitan area, but due to IDC saturation and power shortages, a second data center is required.
The Reform Party explained that through the special law, the permits related to power, water, land, and environmental issues necessary for establishing IDCs within the data special zone can be processed in a ‘one-stop fast track’ manner through a single window.
In regard to the digital special zone, a tax incentive package will also be provided for tenant corporations, including corporate tax reductions, low electricity rates, and long-term lease of state-owned land.
Domestic major IDCs, including Kakao and Naver, are reported to deter global corporations from investing in the country due to the potential exposure of sensitive information for political purposes or by authorities when search warrants are issued by courts.
The Reform Party plans to restrict the viewing, duplication, and utilization of high-risk sensitive information under search warrants to the explicit consent of the information subject or the approval of an independent data review committee (tentative name). It also intends to establish a dual protection system based on domestic laws and international agreements to maintain information sovereignty and trust regardless of changes in political situations between nations.
The Reform Party intends to recognize the approval standards of global corporations as long as they do not conflict with domestic laws by utilizing the ‘Regulatory Standards National System’ proposed by the Reform Party.
The Reform Party’s campaign committee stated, ‘Busan has abundant power due to the nearby Gori Nuclear Power Plant, is advantageous for securing cooling water through the sea, and is connected to international submarine optical cables, making it a very favorable environment for data center locations,’ and noted, ‘It also has a foundation for nurturing talents linked to Busan National University and Korea Maritime and Ocean University.’