The inter-agency task force for eradicating small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) technology theft held a ceremony on Monday to launch the "SME Technology Theft Reporting Center" along with an expanded task force meeting, aimed at swiftly responding to technology theft cases and strengthening cooperation among government agencies.
The task force comprises the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the National Police Agency, and the National Intelligence Service.
The SME Technology Theft Reporting Center is a joint multi-ministry reporting and consultation channel that allows victimized companies to file complaints more easily and quickly and receive appropriate support. It is the first collaborative outcome of the inter-agency task force, which was launched in January. The center was originally scheduled to open in the second half of the year but launched ahead of schedule as participating agencies pooled their efforts.
The government plans to develop the reporting center into a one-stop support system that covers reporting, consultation, support program applications, and linkage to investigations and criminal probes.
"We will mobilize all capabilities across the government to eradicate technology theft and establish a fair market order where SME technologies are protected," MSS Minister Han Sung-sook said.
"We will solidify cooperation with related ministries and continuously strengthen law enforcement to root out technology theft," FTC Chairman Joo Byung-ki said.
"Preventing technology leaks goes beyond the issue of a specific company — it is directly linked to our economy's innovation capacity and future growth engines. We will work with an even greater sense of mission to build a country where free-riding and technology theft no longer go unchecked," Korean Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Yong-sun said.
