South Korea's expanded espionage law takes effect amid push to protect chip technology
The amendment carries a minimum three-year sentence and lets courts impose up to 30 years for leaking sensitive technology to foreign countries.
- On Sunday, South Korea's expanded espionage law took effect, broadening offenses beyond North Korea to include all foreign countries, with penalties reaching up to 30 years in prison.
- The National Assembly passed the revised Criminal Act in February to close a longstanding loophole where espionage charges previously applied only to acts benefiting North Korea, elevating industrial theft to a national-security threat.
- Industry data indicates half of all detected sensitive technology leaks in 2025 involved China, while Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix face intense pressure from rivals like CXMT as the government invests US$880 billion in a new semiconductor hub.
- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday all countries should "safeguard the normal investment and business activities of enterprises," while experts like Chae Seong-joon warn proving nation-state involvement remains a significant enforcement challenge.
- The National Intelligence Service welcomed the amendment to strengthen deterrence against industrial espionage, though existing provisions for espionage benefiting an "enemy state" remain in place as Seoul seeks to preserve its chipmaking dominance.
12 Articles
12 Articles
South Korea's expanded espionage law takes effect amid push to protect chip technology
South Korea's expanded espionage law takes effect on Sunday, broadening espionage offences beyond acts involving North Korea to include all foreign countries as Seoul seeks to protect key technologies amid intensifying competition in semiconductors and other strategic industries.
(Beijing=Yonhap News) Correspondent Jung Sung-jo = Ahead of the implementation of the Korean Criminal Code, which expands the scope of punishment for 'espionage' to counter industrial technology leakers and threats from foreign spies...
South Korea Ramps Up Spy Law to Protect Chip Secrets From China
South Korea is tightening its defenses against industrial espionage with a revised law on spying taking effect this weekend, as the home of global chip giants Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. seeks to safeguard advanced memory technology from increasingly formidable Chinese rivals.
South Korea declares war on industrial espionage - stealing Samsung, SK Hynix technology faces up to 30 years in prison
The two largest memory manufacturers are concentrated in South Korea, so it is expected that interest in their technology and development from Chinese competitors will be high. The country’s authorities are trying to strengthen protection of local memory manufacturers by increasing liability for industrial espionage at the legislative level. Changes to South Korean law will […]
On April 24, 2025, a visitor views a prototype of SK Hynix's High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) technology at the IT World Expo 2025 in Seoul. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP)
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