South Korea’s revised Criminal Act took effect September 13, 2026, broadening the country’s espionage offenses beyond acts benefiting North Korea to cover any foreign country, with a minimum three-year prison sentence, Reuters reported. The change comes amid concern over leaks of semiconductor, display, battery and AI technology, following the indictment of five former Samsung employees for allegedly transferring DRAM technology to China’s CXMT.
Why it matters: The law extends South Korea’s espionage framework to explicitly cover industrial and technology espionage benefiting any country, not just North Korea — a legal recognition that protecting critical technology supply chains, particularly semiconductors, has become a national-security priority comparable to traditional espionage concerns.
Source: Reuters, September 13, 2026.
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