[New Wave] Government Communication Direction for Building Bio Big Data

Jeong Won-jun, Professor, Department of Media Communication, Suwon University

Last week, Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, announced plans to invest 1 trillion won by 2028 to build a bio big data platform encompassing 1 million people. Bio big data refers to data that is inevitably generated during healthcare diagnosis, treatment, and related research processes, and it serves as fundamental material that determines the national competitiveness in bio-science and technology. Big data is expected to significantly contribute to improving medical services and reducing costs through convergence with related fields.

The recent healthcare service environment emphasizes the '4P' approach, which stands for personalized, preventive, participatory, and predictive, achieved by integrating advanced IT technologies. Reflecting this, healthcare services are shifting from a 'provider'-centered to a 'consumer'-centered approach, from disease 'treatment' to continuous health management and 'prevention,' from 'experience'-based to 'evidence'-based decision-making, and from 'general' to 'customized' services. According to a recent report by the U.S. market research firm Grand View Research, the global bio-health market is projected to reach $129.4 billion (approximately 154 trillion won) by 2027. Among these, regenerative medicine, genetics, and AI-based technologies are expected to lead profitable industrial growth.

Practically, major countries worldwide are actively collecting genetic biometric information and building medical big data as a preliminary step to securing leadership in the global bio market. To successfully promote precision medicine initiatives and projects involving various healthcare fields, they designate dedicated agencies or establish new specialized organizations, and unify and integrate precision medicine governance through separate institutional establishments.

South Korea also began a national bio big data pilot project last June and is prioritizing the voluntary recruitment of rare disease patients and their families until this year. Through phased plans, the project aims to collect bio big data on 1 million voluntary Korean health and genetic information providers, including patients with intractable diseases, cancer patients, and their families, as well as the general public.

The government's plan to include bio and precision medicine industry development as one of the 'Big 3' future innovation growth areas and to focus on nurturing it as a next-generation core industry is welcome. The government's bio big data construction project is a national participation initiative to create data for predicting and diagnosing diseases vulnerable to Koreans in advance. It aims to collect Korean health and genetic information through voluntary public participation, manage it safely within a secure platform, and establish a system where qualified researchers analyze the data. Through this project, it is expected to secure essential and meaningful Korean-style health data and build a fundamental research platform for future health.

However, awareness and interest in the project remain low. As of May this year, only about 5,000 people have participated in the bio big data construction project. Efficient promotional activities and communication to encourage public participation in the bio big data project are urgently needed. As a national-scale project for the future era, it is necessary to raise awareness, present the rationale that leads to consensus on the project, and encourage active public participation through diverse communication channels. On the other hand, since there are various legal regulations and opposition from stakeholders, it is also essential to strictly adhere to the consent system for big data construction under the Bioethics Act, share the core values of the project with all citizens, and engage in processes that foster understanding, including social returns of the project's outcomes.

Jung Won-jun, Professor, Department of Media Communication, Suwon University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.