South Korea reports nearly 40% of industrial tech leaks involve semiconductors

South Korea's intelligence agency has recorded 107 cases of industrial technology being stolen overseas between 2021 and 2025, according to figures presented to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Semiconductor technologies were the most common target, featuring in 40 incidents, while display technologies accounted for 21 cases and electrical/electronics for 10. Seven leaks concerned automotive tech and six involved shipbuilding.

Of the total, 31 incidents related to national core technologies, which the government deems critical for security and economic growth; semiconductor leaks comprised nine of these high-priority breaches. One prominent case cited a former Samsung Electronics manager who is accused of transferring the company's 18-nanometer DRAM manufacturing process, classified as a national core technology, to Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies. The findings highlight ongoing challenges in protecting South Korea's strategic tech sectors from foreign espionage.