South Korea Expands Espionage Law to Target Tech Theft by Any Foreign State

South Korea expanded its espionage law on Sunday to include industrial spying for any foreign nation, moving beyond its previous exclusive focus on North Korea. According to Reuters, the legislative revision comes amid intensifying global competition over critical technologies such as semiconductors, batteries, and artificial intelligence.

The criminal code amendment, which was approved in February and took effect following a six-month grace period, mandates a prison sentence of at least three years for leaking state secrets to any foreign government or equivalent entity. Previously, espionage laws were narrowly tailored to assist cases involving North Korea, forcing prosecutors to rely on statutes dealing with trade secrets and industrial theft.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service welcomed the reform, stating it will significantly strengthen the nation's ability to prevent the leakage of strategic technologies. Legal and security experts noted that the updated statute effectively closes a loophole that had sometimes resulted in lenient penalties for industrial technology theft.

The legislative shift also reflects growing technological competition with China. Last year, indictments were filed against five former employees of Samsung Electronics over allegations that they transferred advanced DRAM memory chip manufacturing technology to Chinese entities.

While the legislation does not explicitly name any specific country, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on Friday that Chinese companies are committed to complying with international laws and rules. At the same time, Beijing urged nations to ensure a fair, non-discriminatory business and investment environment.