Vice Education Minister Jang Sang-yoon inspects a semiconductor research institute at Seoul National University on June 20, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea needs to develop countermeasures to prevent overseas leaks of state-of-the-art technology, especially regarding semiconductors, amid the deepening of technology competition among major countries, including the U.S. and China, the Federation of Korean Industries said Tuesday.
According to the National Industrial Security Center under the National Intelligence Service, there were 83 technology leak cases detected during the period from 2018 to July 2022, of which 33 cases were related to core national technology that could have a huge impact on national security and the economy.
By group, small and midsized enterprises (SMEs) suffered 44 cases of technology leaks, followed by large enterprises with 31 cases and universities and research institutes with eight cases.
By area, the nation’s core technology – related to semiconductors, electronics, displays, automobiles, shipbuilding and IT – accounted for the largest share with 69 cases.
The center found that key technology was leaked through means such as poaching key employees, mergers and acquisitions, solicitation of subcontractors, and use of joint research.
“The government needs to improve its investigation capability in cases involving technology infringement and trade secrets, and prevent secondary damages arising from leaks of trade secrets during the criminal litigation process,” said Lee Gyoo-ho, a law professor at Chung-Ang University.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
