Public opinion on industrial espionage has hardened. In a Korea Enterprises Federation survey of 1,000 people aged 19 and over, 90.7 percent said penalties for leaking technology overseas should be stronger. Only 5.3 percent wanted current levels kept, and 3.2 percent favoured lighter punishment.
A larger share still, 92.5 percent, said leaks from key industries pose a serious threat to the economy.
The numbers behind the mood
Detected cases of technology flowing overseas rose from nine in 2021 to 33 in 2025. Combined financial damage since 2020 has been put at 23 trillion won, roughly 15.43 billion dollars. Semiconductors sit at the centre of the concern, along with other advanced industries.
The reason the issue lands harder in Korea than elsewhere is concentration. Cutting edge industries accounted for 36.3 percent of exports in 2024, ahead of Britain at 29.7 percent, the United States at 24.3 percent and France at 23.1 percent. A narrower technological base means each leak removes a larger share of what the country sells.
The argument
Ha Sang-woo, a researcher at the federation, said most people see the leaking of core technologies not merely as a corporate problem but as a threat to national competitiveness and economic security.
The federation wants findings from Korea and abroad analysed and policy updated to strengthen penalties for overseas leaks, framing the matter as economic security rather than commercial dispute. Since the survey was run by a business group whose members hold the technology in question, the strength of public agreement is the more notable part of the result.