South Korea has implemented a revised Criminal Act that broadens the definition of espionage to include any foreign country or organized entity. The law, which took effect on September 13, 2026, replaces legislation that had remained unchanged for 73 years and previously focused primarily on North Korea.
Under the new regulations, individuals who obtain, collect, or disclose state secrets for foreign entities face prison sentences ranging from three to 30 years. This shift reclassifies technology theft from a private corporate dispute to a matter of national security, granting authorities broader investigative powers.
The legislative change follows a record 33 technology leak cases reported by South Korean police in 2025, with over half linked to China. A notable incident involved the indictment of five former Samsung Electronics employees for allegedly transferring DRAM manufacturing technology to the Chinese firm CXMT.
This legal reform is part of a broader national strategy that includes an $880 billion plan to develop a semiconductor hub. The government aims to protect the competitive advantages of domestic leaders like Samsung and SK Hynix amid rising global demand for memory chips.
