Specialized Investigation System Restructured to Prevent Advanced Technology Leaks and Safeguard National Technology Security
21-Jul-2026
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Source : The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)
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Visits : 69
“Preventing Leaks of Advanced Technologies such as Semiconductors and AI”
New Dedicated Division for Advanced Technology Leakage; Technology Police Force Expanded to 61 Officers
DAEJEON - A specialized investigative division dedicated to preventing the leakage and theft of advanced technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), and safeguarding national technology security will officially begin operations on June 30, 2026, according to the official website of the South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP).
The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), led by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced on June 29 its “Measures to Expand and Reorganize the Response System Against Technology Leaks and Theft,” especially in relation to advanced technologies such as semiconductors and AI. The centerpiece of this initiative is the establishment of a new investigative division for technology leakage, which will be added to MOIP’s existing special judicial police (SJP) structure for technology-related offenses. The broader restructuring of MOIP’s investigative units will increase the number of personnel dedicated to technology-crime investigations and strengthen their investigative capabilities.
[ Expanding the Technology-Crime Response System and Increasing the Technology Police Force from 27 to 61 Officers ]
MOIP’s SJP system dates back to 2010, when it was established primarily to investigate counterfeit trademark goods (“Trademark Police”). In 2019, its investigative authority was expanded to cover patent and trade secret offenses, leading to the establishment of the “Technology Police.” In 2021, MOIP established the Technology & Design Police Division (“Tech Police”) to bring patent, trade secret, and design investigations together within a single dedicated division. Since then, MOIP’s Tech Police have developed into a specialized investigative body with a high level of technical expertise.
Notably, through proactive investigations, they have prevented more than KRW 10 trillion in potential losses. Major cases include the detention of suspects involved in the overseas leakage of National High-Tech Strategic Technologies related to secondary batteries in July 2025 and February 2026, and of a National Core Technology related to semiconductors in January 2023. They also secured the detention of a suspect in a design imitation case in March 2026.
However, technology leakage and theft have become increasingly sophisticated, and limited staffing has contributed to delays in case processing. The need to strengthen MOIP’s investigative capacity has therefore continued to grow. At MOIP’s policy briefing in December 2025, President Lee Jae Myung underscored the seriousness of technology crimes and called for an expansion of the police force dedicated to these offenses.
As a follow-up to that directive, MOIP will launch three new divisions—the “Intellectual Property Protection Analysis Division,” the “Technology Divulgence Police Division,” and the “Intellectual Property Protection Standards Division”—within its Intellectual Property Protection & International Cooperation Bureau. In addition, 28 new positions will be added, alongside the internal reallocation of existing personnel to staff the newly established divisions.
As a result, MOIP’s organization dedicated to combating technology crimes will expand from one unit (i.e., the Technology and Design Police Division) to four. Through the additional appointment of special judicial police officers and the internal reallocation of staff positions, the police force on technology will increase substantially from 27 to 61 officers.
The expanded system will strengthen MOIP’s response to technology crimes in three areas: specialized investigations, early detection and prevention, and investigative standards and human rights safeguards.
[ Establishing Dedicated Investigative Teams for Advanced Technology and Trade Secret Leakage ]
Trade secret cases are often technically complex, difficult to prove, and closely linked to National Core Technologies and National High-Tech Strategic Technologies. Under the previous system, however, trade secret, patent, and design cases were handled by the same investigative division, limiting its ability to concentrate resources on complex technology leakage cases.
MOIP will therefore separate trade secret investigations from patent and design investigations and transfer them to the newly established “Trade Secret Divulgence Division.” The division will be staffed by 21 investigators dedicated to cases involving the leakage and theft of advanced technologies.
MOIP will reinforce the division’s technical expertise in electrical engineering, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. This specialized capacity will enable investigators to assess and substantiate cases involving advanced technologies, including semiconductors and AI, more promptly and effectively. The division will also draw on personnel with experience in patent examination and patent trials, as well as doctoral degree holders, attorneys, and patent attorneys.
Building on this specialized capacity, MOIP plans to pursue amendments to the Act on the Persons Performing the Duties of Judicial Police to expand the investigators’ authority beyond trade secret offenses to include violations involving National Core Technologies and National High-Tech Strategic Technologies.
[ Detecting Early Warning Signs to Prevent Technology Leakage and Theft ]
The second newly established unit, the “Intellectual Property Protection Analysis Division,” will focus on risk analysis and prevention. Using patent big data, the division will proactively identify technologies, institutions, and other areas at high risk of leakage, with particular emphasis on National Core Technologies and National High-Tech Strategic Technologies. It will also conduct technology protection and economic security analyses and develop measures to prevent technology leakage and theft before they occur.
MOIP will also establish a public-private cooperation system to detect warning signs at an early stage and initiate planned or intelligence-based investigations. The system will draw on the industrial espionage reporting reward program, which took effect under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in May 2026, as well as ongoing communication channels with companies and research institutes. MOIP will also expand trade secret protection and security training for SMEs and venture companies with limited security capabilities.
[ Strengthening Investigative Capacity and Safeguards for Human Rights ]
The third newly established unit, the “Intellectual Property Protection Standards Division,” will focus on investigative standards, oversight, and human rights safeguards. The division will systematically revise and further specify investigative guidelines and standards for compulsory investigations. These measures will provide an institutional foundation for ensuring legality, fairness, and accountability throughout the investigative process. The division will also proactively address concerns about investigative quality or gaps in oversight arising from changes to the system governing investigative direction between prosecutors and MOIP’s police officers.
In addition, MOIP will establish and operate a “Criminal Investigation Review Committee” to obtain advice from external experts on compulsory investigations, which require particular care to safeguard fundamental rights. It will also strengthen human rights protections by ensuring effective access to legal counsel, expanding mandatory video recording, and introducing a system for notifying parties of the progress of their cases. MOIP plans to cooperate closely with the Korean National Police Agency to improve investigative guidelines and promote training and reciprocal personnel exchanges.
Minister Kim stated, “By expanding and reorganizing the response system against technology leaks and theft, we will secure the ‘golden time’ for detecting technology crimes. By maximizing the expertise and swiftness of investigations to protect Korean enterprises’ technologies, we will protect the technologies of Korean companies and strengthen the foundation for Korea to become a global leader in cutting-edge technology.”