Technical Security 'Emergency Light'... "40% of Overseas Technology Leaks Are National Core Technologies"

Assemblyman Jeong Uncheon Analyzes Patent Office Data
33 of 83 Overseas Industrial Technology Leaks in Last 5 Years Are National Core Technologies
"Need to Expand Technology Police Organization and Personnel"

Researchers are conducting semiconductor material and component development research in the 12-inch semiconductor testbed cleanroom at the Daejeon Nano Convergence Technology Institute. It is forecasted that the global semiconductor shortage will continue until mid-next year. As the local industry in Gunnae, which is implementing a semiconductor ecosystem advancement strategy, faces potential impacts from this trend, attention is focused on the situation, while various countries around the world are also rolling out their countermeasures. Our government is accelerating the advancement of the semiconductor ecosystem as well. Through the 'K-Semiconductor Strategy Report,' the government envisions a leap to becoming a comprehensive semiconductor powerhouse by 2030 and plans to complete semiconductor localization through massive investments and tax benefits. Having achieved K-quarantine through COVID-19, South Korea is expected to proudly showcase the success of K-semiconductors in the global semiconductor hegemony competition. /Daejeon=Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Ye-ju] Although the era of technological hegemony competition, where a nation's technological capabilities determine its national competitiveness, has fully begun, the overseas leakage of South Korea's industrial technology and national core technology has been steadily increasing.

According to an analysis of data submitted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and others on the 30th by Jeong Un-cheon, a member of the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee (People Power Party, proportional representation), 83 cases of South Korean industrial technology leakage overseas were confirmed over the past five years. Among these, 33 cases, accounting for 40%, involved the leakage of national core technologies that have a significant impact on national security and the national economy.

National core technologies are 73 technologies across 12 fields such as semiconductors, displays, and automobiles, which, if leaked overseas, could severely harm national security and the development of the national economy. These are designated and announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy under the Industrial Technology Protection Act.

Looking at the annual leakage of industrial technology overseas: ▲2018 - 20 cases ▲2019 - 14 cases ▲2020 - 17 cases ▲2021 - 22 cases ▲as of July 2022 - 10 cases, showing a steady occurrence each year.

Among these, national core technologies leaked annually as follows: ▲2018 - 5 cases ▲2019 - 5 cases ▲2020 - 9 cases ▲2021 - 10 cases ▲as of July 2022 - 4 cases, totaling 33 cases, with an increasing trend since 2020.

The problem is that more than half of the overseas industrial technology leakages occurred in 'small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).' The types of companies affected by overseas technology leakage were ▲SMEs 44 cases (53%) ▲large corporations 31 cases (37%) ▲universities and research institutes 8 cases (10%). Especially, SMEs find it relatively difficult to respond independently and take follow-up measures against technology leakage, making urgent government measures to protect them necessary.

Furthermore, by industry, 70% of national core technology leakages are concentrated in South Korea's key industries such as semiconductors, displays, shipbuilding, and automobile industries, exacerbating the seriousness of the issue. A representative case is the semiconductor cleaning equipment core technology developed by 'Semes,' a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, which was sold to a Chinese company by a former researcher and their partner company, earning hundreds of billions of won.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office launched the Technology Design Special Judicial Police Division (Technology Police), a dedicated organization for investigating national technology leakage and infringement, in July last year. However, as it is still in its early stages, about 20 personnel are handling all cases nationwide, leading to increased case processing times and backlogs.

As case processing times and backlogs increase, proving allegations becomes difficult due to evidence destruction and fabricated testimonies, and products using leaked technology enter the market, causing economic damage to companies and the nation.

Jeong Un-cheon said, "If industrial technology and national core technology are leaked, it will have a significant impact on national technology security and the national economy," adding, "Protecting industrial technology and national core technology in the era of technological hegemony competition is the most important task to safeguard national competitiveness." He further pointed out, "The current personnel of the Technology Police at the Korean Intellectual Property Office are far from sufficient to prevent the leakage of industrial and national core technologies," and urged, "The Korean Intellectual Property Office must take the lead in protecting national technology security by significantly expanding the Technology Police organization and personnel."

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