Key facts
- South Korea's National Intelligence Service detected 107 overseas industrial technology leaks from 2021 to 2025.
- Semiconductor technologies accounted for 40 of the total leaks.
- Display technologies were involved in 21 leaks, and electrical/electronics in 10.
- 31 of the leaks involved national core technologies.
- Nine leaks of national core technologies were related to semiconductors.
South Korea has experienced a significant number of industrial technology leaks overseas in recent years, with semiconductor technology being the most frequently targeted sector. Data from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed that between 2021 and 2025, a total of 107 cases of such leaks were detected. Semiconductors constituted the largest portion, accounting for 40 of these incidents, or nearly 40 percent of the total.
Following semiconductors, display technologies were the second most targeted, with 21 cases, while electrical and electronics technologies accounted for 10 cases. Automotive technologies were involved in seven leaks, and shipbuilding in six.
The NIS data also highlighted that 31 of the 107 cases involved national core technologies, which are deemed critical for South Korea's national security and economic future. Among these sensitive leaks, semiconductors again represented the largest share with nine cases. Display and electrical/electronics technologies each accounted for five cases of national core technology leaks.
One prominent case mentioned involved a former Samsung Electronics manager who allegedly leaked the company's 18-nanometer DRAM manufacturing technology, a designated national core technology, to ChangXin Memory Technologies, a Chinese chipmaker.