South Korea public backs tougher penalties for core tech leaks

A survey conducted by the Korea Federation of Business Associations (KFK) of 1,000 adults found that 92.5% of respondents consider the overseas leakage of core technologies a serious threat to the national economy. The average severity rating was 8.6 out of 10, with 62.6% describing the risk as "very serious."

More than 90% of those surveyed support strengthening penalties for such leaks, including harsher criminal sanctions and supplemental economic sanctions such as heavy fines or asset forfeiture. Over 91% said Korea should adopt an economic‑security‑oriented legal framework similar to that of the United States or China. The most cited concern was a weakening of national competitiveness (53% of respondents), followed by threats to security and supply‑chain stability (19.5%) and a loss of global market share that could reduce revenue, jobs and tax receipts.

KFK officials stated that the public views technology leakage as a national security issue rather than a purely corporate problem and called for swift legislative action to introduce more effective punitive measures.