Core technologies such as semiconductors are leaking...Survey 'Limit'

[Anchor]
News of the outflow of core technologies such as semiconductors is not uncommon.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the main ministry, is also conducting a preventive field survey system, but it is pointed out that it clearly reveals its limitations.

Reporter Lim Sung-jae found out for some reason.

[Reporter]
Last month, a former executive and a senior researcher in the semiconductor field of Samsung Electronics were put on trial in custody.

It is suspected of leaking "D-RAM technology" to China, which spent more than 4 trillion won on technology development alone.

As such, industrial technologies with high technological and economic value in domestic and foreign markets are designated as "national core technologies" and are immediately reported to related organizations in the event of a technology leak.

However, it turns out that it is common for companies to report leaks at industrial sites after many months.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry operates a preventive field survey system, but it is pointed out that even this is a 'pitching method'.

The biennial survey of the company is not compulsory,
This is because the
survey question itself remains at the level of checking whether employees have written a security pledge and whether security training is conducted.

[Park Sang-woong / People's Power Member, National Assembly Trade, Energy Small and Medium Venture Business Committee: Measures to prevent the leakage of industrial technology by the Ministry of Industry, the main ministry, were really ineffective at the scene. / There is an urgent need to improve the system, including reorganizing related laws and regulations.]

Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry explained that the purpose of the investigation was to check security vulnerabilities and instill awareness.

It was also on the cutting board that more than half of the Ministry of Industry's manpower could not directly take care of the fact-finding site.

In 71 domestic surveys conducted over the past six years, only 33 times have the Ministry of Industry's manpower conducted on-site inspections.

The remaining related agencies, such as the Industrial Technology Protection Association and the National Intelligence Service, were in charge.

The Ministry of Industry explained that the number of employees in the department in charge is only a single digit, but in the 28 overseas office surveys conducted during the same period, 24 business trips were made.

While political circles are also discussing the revision of the law to strengthen the authority of the Ministry of Industry to prevent technology leakage, there are many voices calling for the ministry's own improvement efforts.

I'm YTN's Lim Sungjae.

Reporter for filming
: Lee Sung-mo Han Sang-won
Edit
video: Han Kyung-hee

Design: Baek Seungmin