South Korea will enforce expanded espionage laws on September 13. This marks the first major update to the legislation in over 70 years.
The revised law now covers technology leaks to any foreign nation, moving beyond its previous focus on North Korea. The legal overhaul classifies industrial secret theft as a national security threat.
Convicted offenders face significantly stiffer penalties, including prison sentences of up to 30 years. The legislation specifically targets the protection of domestic chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Officials designed the changes to counter aggressive technology acquisition efforts, particularly from competitors in China.