Ms. Soonjoung Byun is a General Researcher in Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), a government agency primarily in charge of ICTs and Internet-related policy. She has been responsible for internet governance policy since she joined Internet Policy Planning team in 2013.
Even though her direct involvement in internet governance began in 2013, Ms. Byun has obtained various experiences, which certainly became a strong basis for her current engagement in the issue. She worked over 10 years in personal data protection and information security fields. When she first joined KISA in 2001, she was responsible for international cooperation activities for personal data protection. She dealt with personal data issues raised in various forms of international pacts such as free trade agreements. She was also involved in the discussion of international organizations such as APEC and OECD as a representative of Korean government.
In Research and Analysis team, Ms. Byun not only conducted in-depth research, but also participated in outlining medium- and long-term national strategies in personal data protection and information security. In Information Security Management Team, she was responsible for Personal Information Management System, and was involved in Information Security Management System as well. Besides establishing the PIMS certification criteria, authorizing PIMS certifications, and improving relevant legislative and regulatory measures, she worked on international standardization of PIMS in ISO/IEC SC27 and ITU-T SG17.
Before joining KISA, she started her career in the private sector. In Unilever, she conducted market research for consumer needs analysis for 2 years. Her diverse experiences in both public and private sectors have prepared for contributing to multistakeholder dialogue in internet governance.
Ms. Byun graduated from Ewha Womans University with Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 1999 and received her Master’s degree in Marketing in Seoul National University in 2001.