SME Technology Theft Reporting Center Launches Ahead of Schedule in Korea

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April 27, 2026

Pan-government Reporting Platform Opens as a “One-stop Response to Technology Theft"

• Early launch of the SME Technology Theft Reporting Center, the first joint outcome of the pan-government task force.
• Expanded interagency cooperation brings together ministries, industry groups, companies, and experts to review technology protection achievements and discuss future institutional improvements.

The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), led by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced on the March 26, 2026 that a launch ceremony will be held for the “SME Technology Theft Shinmungo (or Reporting Center)” alongside a consultative meeting for the Expanded Pan-government Task Force“ with the aim of responding more swiftly to cases of technology theft and strengthening inter-agency cooperation.

The task force is made up of members of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), National Police Agency (KNPA), National Intelligence Service (NIS) and will focus on eradicating technology theft from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The newly launched “SME Technology Theft Reporting Center is a also a joint endeavor for receiving reports and providing counseling to victimized SME. The interagency platform allows easier reporting of technology theft and quicker provision of appropriate support. This marks the first collaborative outcome of the Pan-government Task Force, which was launched January 2026. Although the center had originally been scheduled to open in the second half of the year, the relevant agencies worked together to bring forward its launch.

The government expects the new platform to reduce confusion for victimized companies by consolidating what had previously been separate reporting and consultation channels operated by different ministries and agencies. Going forward, the Center will be further upgraded into an integrated support system capable of handling not only reports and consultations, but also applications for support programs and referrals for investigation and prosecution.

During the subsequent “Expanded Pan-government Task Force Meeting,” government agencies, including MSS, KFTC, MOIP, and KNPA, met with private stakeholders, including SME associations, experts, and SMEs. They shared achievements and cases related to technology protection since the inauguration of the new administration and discussed improvement measures based on policy recommendations from experts and businesses.

During the subsequent “Expanded Pan-government Task Force Meeting,” officials from the MOIP, MSS, KFTC, KNPA, and other government bodies joined representatives from SME associations, experts, and business leaders. Participants shared outcomes and case examples related to technology protection since the launch of the new government, and discussed ways to improve policies based on recommendations from experts and businesses.

Minister HAN Seongsook of MSS stated, “To establish a fair market order where the technologies of SMEs are fully protected, we will mobilize all pan-governmental capabilities and put an ed to technology theft.”

Chairperson JU Biung-Ghi of KFTC stated, “We will continue to strengthen enforcement against technology theft through close cooperation with relevant ministries, while also accelerating institutional improvements, including tougher sanctions against offending companies and easing the burden of proof on victimized companies.”

Minister Kim of MOIP stated, “Preventing technology leakage is not simply a matter affecting individual companies. It is directly tied to our economy’s innovation capacity and future growth engines. We will move forward with an even stronger sense of mission to build a country where free-riding and technology theft is no longer tolerated.”

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