Police Crack Down on Technology Leaks Threatening National Security: 179 Cases Exposed, 378 Suspects Arrested

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[Financial News]#. Three individuals, including a former CEO of victim company A, were arrested by police after sending overseas investors industrial-technology design drawings for a "methanol fuel cell" owned by A and stealing a sample fuel cell to take it out of the country.#. A former researcher at victim company B was also apprehended after saving and leaking to a personal laptop the company’s national core technology, namely "rechargeable battery manufacturing technical data," and then moving to a foreign competitor.The National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on the 19th that over the course of 2025 it conducted an intensive crackdown on technology-leak crimes, uncovering a total of 179 cases, including 8 involving leaks of national core technologies, and arresting 378 suspects. Of these, 6 were taken into custody.
The number of cases uncovered last year rose 45.5% compared with 123 cases in 2024, while the number of suspects arrested increased 41.5% from 267. In particular, during a 100-day intensive operation from July 24 to October 31 last year targeting overseas technology leaks that threaten national security, authorities arrested 105 suspects in 33 cases. The National Office of Investigation explained that these results reflect the police’s ongoing efforts to strengthen specialized investigative capabilities.
By type of offense applied in all technology-leak cases, violations of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act were the most common at 118 cases (65.9%). This was followed by 39 cases (21.8%) involving occupational breach of trust and similar offenses, and 22 cases (12.3%) involving violations of the Act on Prevention of Divulgence and Protection of Industrial Technology.
By field of leaked technology, there were 15 cases (8.3%) in machinery, 11 (6.1%) in the display manufacturing industry, 8 (4.5%) in semiconductors, 8 (4.5%) in information and communication, 8 (4.5%) in rechargeable batteries, 6 (3.4%) in biotechnology, and 5 (2.8%) in Automobile and Railway Engineering.
Looking only at technologies leaked overseas, there were 5 cases (15.2%) in semiconductors, 4 (12.1%) in the display manufacturing industry, 3 (9.1%) in rechargeable batteries, and 2 (6%) in the shipbuilding industry, indicating that leaks were concentrated in sectors where the country has strong global competitiveness.
By destination country, China accounted for 18 cases (54.5%), followed by Vietnam with 4 (12.1%), Indonesia with 3 (9.1%), and the United States of America (U.S.) with 3 (9.1%). While the share of leaks to China fell somewhat from 74.1% in 2024 to 54.5% last year, leaks to other countries such as Vietnam increased.
By perpetrator, insiders such as executives and employees of victim companies were responsible for 148 cases (82.7%), making up the overwhelming majority. By company size, small and medium-sized enterprises suffered far more damage, with 155 cases (86.6%), compared with 24 cases (13.4%) at large corporations.
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) not only arrested offenders but also recovered criminal proceeds of about 2.34 billion won by identifying fees obtained by suspects who funneled key domestic semiconductor manufacturing personnel overseas and securing pre-indictment preservation orders for confiscation.
In addition, to eradicate overseas technology-leak crimes, the agency plans to expand dedicated organizational capacity and strengthen specialized training in line with its investigative capability enhancement plan, while also working with relevant agencies to further advance a whole-of-government response system.
An official at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) stated, "Technology leaks are a serious crime that inflicts irreparable damage on national economic security, going beyond harm to individual companies," adding, "We will continue to apply a zero-tolerance principle to technology-leak crimes and conduct strict crackdowns."
The official went on to urge, "If you have suffered damage from a technology leak or witness a suspected case, please report it by calling the 113 National Security Hotline without dialing an area code, using the Online 113 Reporting Center on the KNPA website, or contacting the Industrial Technology Protection Investigation Team at your local Provincial Police Agency."
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yoo-ha Reporter