South Korea’s revised Criminal Act took effect on September 13, expanding its espionage law for the first time in 73 years to protect semiconductor secrets. The new law extends the definition of espionage beyond enemy states to cover any foreign country or organized entity, with prison sentences ranging from three to 30 years. In 2025, South Korean police reported a record 33 technology leak cases, with more than half linked to China, primarily targeting the semiconductor sector. Five former Samsung Electronics employees were indicted for allegedly transferring critical DRAM manufacturing technology to ChangXin Memory Technologies, a Chinese memory chip firm. South Korea has outlined an 880 billion dollar semiconductor hub plan to cement its position as a global chipmaking powerhouse.
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