Important to note that culturally and legally, South Korea is more tolerant of personal data-sharing, and its success has been heavily dependent on its ability to rapidly scale up technological solutions. Countries with less technology and where citizens do not have smartphones or are not as willing to share their data may experience difficulties adapting such strategies.

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When necessary, the officers were permitted to draw on four major types of information in addition to patient and doctor interviews:

- Facility visits, including pharmacies and medical facilities
- Cellular GPS data from cell phones
- Credit card transaction logs
- Closed-circuit television

The South Korean Government also developed apps that collected relevant data, which eased the burden on EIS officers and made it possible for them to cope with the high volume of investigations.

Ways that South Korea has proceeded Contact Tracing Using Big Data

Our World in Data. 2020. Emerging COVID-19 Success Story: South Korea Learned The Lessons Of MERS. https://ourworldindata.org/covid-exemplar-south-korea     Accessed 14 July 2020.

Emerging COVID-19 success story: South Korea learned the lessons of MERS

Central government developed guidelines against the leaking of the identity of infected patients to the public by advising authorities to disclose information on the destinations patients visited and how they traveled there, but to withhold any indentifying information, such as their addresses and companies they work for. However, if patient has the potential of infecting large numbers of colleagues at work, then disclosure of such private information is allowed. Traveler information was shared with health facilities and pharmacies to facilitate prompt identification of cases and contacts. 

Privacy Management in South Korea Regarding Contact Tracing

Cultural Influence for Contact Tracing in South Korea

Yonhap News Agency. 2020. S. Korea Sets Guidelines Limiting Release Of Private Info Of Coronavirus Patients | Yonhap News Agency. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200314002000315     Accessed 14 July 2020.

S. Korea sets guidelines limiting release of private info of coronavirus patients

Though the Constitution of the Republic of Korea strongly implies a fundamental right of personal information and data protection, government can be provided with private-sector data with a warrant in most circumstances.  Cases of national security do not require warrants. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of 2011 stringently limits the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data without prior informed consent of the individual whose data are involved.

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