Report Technology Theft, Wait a Month... 4 in 10 Cases Not Assigned to Any Ministry

22 of 58 Reports Went Unassigned
It Took an Average of 26.8 Days to Assign Cases
Three of the Six Participating Agencies Received No Cases

Four out of every 10 reports filed with the “Pan-Government Reporting Center,” established to handle cases of technology theft from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in one place, were not assigned to a responsible ministry. It took an average of 26.8 days to determine which ministry would handle a case.

According to data obtained from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, the Ministry of Intellectual Property, and the National Police Agency by Im Munyeong, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee representing Gwangsan B in Gwangju, 58 reports were filed with the “SME Technology Theft Reporting Center” from March through August. Of these, 29 cases—just half—were assigned to relevant government agencies. Another 22 cases (37.9%) were not assigned to any agency.

Lim Munyeong, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.

Despite its name, the “Pan-Government Reporting Center” routed cases to only a few agencies. Six institutions participate in the center: the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, the Ministry of Intellectual Property, the National Police Agency, and the National Intelligence Service. However, cases were assigned to just three of them: 18 to the Ministry of Intellectual Property, seven to the National Police Agency, and four to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Not a single case was assigned to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, or the National Intelligence Service.

It took an average of 26.8 days after a report was filed to designate the responsible ministry. Under the current process, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups must consult in advance with the relevant ministries before formally assigning a case, after legal experts review the applicable laws and determine which agency is responsible. In effect, companies reporting technology theft waited nearly a month on average before an investigation or inquiry even began.

The system for tracking cases after they are transferred also relies on email. Asked how case outcomes are shared, the Ministry of Intellectual Property said the Ministry of SMEs and Startups asks it to periodically send updates by email. The reporting channel is unified, but once a case is assigned, each ministry’s handling status is gathered separately.

Technology leakage crimes are on the rise. According to National Police Agency data, the number of reported technology leakage crimes increased 2.1-fold in four years, from 153 in 2021 to 328 in 2025.

SMEs have borne the brunt of the harm. Of the 179 technology leakage cases referred to prosecutors last year, 155 (86.6%) involved victims such as SMEs. This year, through August, 67 (87.0%) of the 77 cases referred involved victims such as SMEs.

“The Pan-Government Reporting Center was established to help SMEs that do not know where to report technology theft, but four out of every 10 reports are not being assigned and are being left unattended,” Im said. “A month is far too long for a company whose technology has been stolen. The center should be more than a place that simply says, ‘Your report has been received.’ It should quickly designate the responsible ministry and serve as a resolution channel that takes responsibility through to the outcome of efforts to remedy the damage.”

He added, “The government must clarify the criteria for assigning cases to each ministry and the deadlines for handling them, and establish a pan-government management system that tracks and shares the status of each case at every stage through to its conclusion.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.