Establishment of Dedicated Investigation Support Center for Technology Theft
The damage caused by 'high-tech theft crimes' involving semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries has been estimated at 23 trillion won over the past five years, from 2020 to last year. In response, the prosecution established a Technology Theft Crime Investigation Support Center under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in September 2022, recovering over 100 billion won in criminal proceeds in the last two years and eight months.
According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, from September 2022 to May 2025, 226 individuals involved in technology theft were investigated, with 73 of them being arrested and indicted. The total amount recovered from these cases is approximately 123.8 billion won. Compared to 2022, the year before the center was established, the arrest rate for technology theft crimes increased by 4.9%, the indictment rate by 8.8%, and the conviction rate by 12.6%, while the acquittal rate decreased by 3.3%.
Among technology theft cases, crimes related to advanced technology account for over 30%. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office reported that there have been a total of 396 indictments for technology theft over the past six years, with about 96 cases (32%) involving violations of the Industrial Technology Protection Act.
Technology theft crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Traditionally, perpetrators would hire employees from the victimized companies to leak technology. However, recent trends show that they are now establishing shell companies to hire employees or extracting technology under the guise of legal consulting. For instance, six individuals indicted last April for leaking domestic semiconductor deposition equipment technology and engineers to China had set up a separate server in Korea to store stolen data, which they then downloaded using a virtual private network (VPN) from China. They also evaded investigation by entering into employment contracts with shell companies in China and operating under English pseudonyms.
The establishment of the center has allowed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to enhance the professionalism and efficiency of investigations by transferring the investigative leadership and support roles from the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crimes Departments to the scientifically specialized Scientific Investigation Department. Dedicated investigative units have been set up in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, and Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, staffed with professionals such as patent attorneys and science and engineering graduates.
Additionally, the prosecution has tightened the standards for arrests and indictments related to these crimes and strengthened sentencing guidelines. In March of last year, the Supreme Court's Sentencing Commission added a new sentencing guideline for 'industrial technology infringement,' allowing for sentences of up to 18 years for overseas infringements of national core technologies. For industrial technology infringements outside the country, sentences can reach up to 15 years, while domestic infringements can lead to sentences of up to 9 years. Previously, the maximum sentence for technology theft was limited to 9 years under the 'trade secret infringement' clause.
A representative from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "It is essential to eradicate technology theft crimes by consolidating national capabilities through close cooperation with domestic and international agencies and training specialized personnel."
