The emergence of a deep-seated, multidimensional strategic competition between the United States and China has led many to argue that the world is fracturing into two spheres—a Sinocentric order and a U.S.-centric one. One result of this fragmentation, some suggest, could be that Beijing sets the terms of data and internet governance and technology standards in Asian countries and beyond.1 As the world moves into the next phase of the digital transformation, what was once viewed as a purely commercial and technological competition is increasingly being framed as an existential geopolitical one. 

The fact is, however, that the United States and China are not the world’s only major digital players. There has been a proliferation of policy and regulatory models in recent years, and international internet governance is up for grabs as countries, from India to Japan to South Korea, experiment, innovate, and share their policy experiences and practices, successes, and failures. 

Data governance is one critical area of contention because it is increasingly central to next-generation industries and the future of rulemaking in the global economy. Countries such as South Korea (hereinafter Korea) and India have developed distinctive national approaches to data governance. Neither country aims to imitate or adopt wholly American, much less Chinese, data policies and practices. They, too, have the potential to drive debates about technology business models and regulatory frameworks.

Korea, in particular, is a digital pacesetter because it is perhaps the world’s most connected country. Korea’s internet access, according to the Pew Research Center,2 reached a staggering 96 percent of adults in 2018, and the country boasts the world’s highest 4G telecommunications availability and highest fixed broadband upload speed, according to a recently published connectivity index.3