Nearly 4 in 10 S. Korean industrial technology leaks involve semiconductors: data
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's spy agency has detected more than 100 ...
Seoul, September 27 - South Korea's national intelligence agency has identified more than 100 instances of industrial technology espionage abroad over the past five years, with semiconductors being the primary target, according to data released to the National Assembly on Sunday. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported 107 cases of such leaks between 2021 and 2025.
Semiconductors accounted for 40 of these cases, followed by display technologies with 21 instances and electrical and electronics technologies with 10. Seven cases involved automotive technologies, and six involved shipbuilding technologies. Among the 107 cases, 31 were classified as national core technologies, deemed critical to national security and economic growth by the government.
Semiconductors were the most common type of national core technology leaks, with nine cases. The most significant case involved a former Samsung Electronics executive allegedly sharing the company's 18-nanometer DRAM manufacturing technology, also classified as a national core technology, with Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies.
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