LG Uplus teams up with Seoul Women's University to develop AI-powered privacy protection

LG Uplus has joined forces with Seoul Women's University to develop AI-based personal data protection technology, with plans to jointly research automatic detection and pseudonymization of sensitive information while also collaborating on training the next generation of data security professionals.

LG Uplus announced Tuesday that it had signed an MOU with Seoul Women's University covering joint research and talent development in personal data protection, AI and data. The signing ceremony was attended by Hong Gwan-hee, LG Uplus's chief information security officer (CISO), Seoul Women's University President Lee Yun-sun, and Kim Hyeong-jong, head of the graduate school's department of personal data protection, among other officials.

The two sides plan to use the Personal Information Protection Commission's "Innovation Zone," to be established at Seoul Women's University, as a base for jointly researching pseudonymous data combination and analysis technologies that enhance the value of data while safeguarding personal information. Their research will cover safe methods for combining and using public and private data, including telecommunications data, and will analyze the risk of re-identification before and after data combination.

The partners plan to apply technology for automatically detecting and pseudonymizing sensitive information to real-world data. They will also jointly research ways to implement "Privacy by Design" — embedding data protection principles from the service planning and design stage — with the aim of applying the results to actual telecommunications services.

The two organizations will also work together on developing future security talent. LG Uplus will participate in Seoul Women's University's master's and doctoral program for personal data protection specialists, contributing curriculum advice, capstone projects and joint seminars. LG Uplus experts and researchers will provide lectures, graduate thesis advisory support and on-site mentoring.

LG Uplus said it intends to continue combining universities' specialized research capabilities with experience accumulated in the telecommunications and services field, applying joint research outcomes to real services. The company also plans to expand the scope of cooperation to cover talent development and next-generation security technology across the broader information security landscape.

This is not LG Uplus's first industry-academia partnership. The company established a contract-based cybersecurity department with Soongsil University in 2023, under which it has been running industry-oriented education, industry-academia projects, guest lectures by working professionals and field training.

"As the use of AI and data expands, the ability to respond to new security threats and protect customer personal information is becoming increasingly important," Hong said. "We will combine the university's specialized research capabilities with LG Uplus's field experience to strengthen our information security competitiveness and nurture the future security talent the industry needs."