South Korea's Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office announced on the 12th that they have indicted a foreign national employee, identified as A, of a Chinese partner company for stealing solid-state battery technology from a major Korean conglomerate.
A faces charges of violating the Special Measures Act for Strengthening and Protecting Competitiveness of National High-Tech Strategic Industries and the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act.
According to an investigation by KIPO's Technology and Design Special Judicial Police and the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Patent Crime Investigation Division, A allegedly obtained confidential materials from B, a director-level researcher at a major Korean company, between November 2019 and April 2025. The scheme involved seven data transfers, eight video meetings, and seven on-site consulting sessions.
The leaked materials included solid-state battery development information, product development and pricing roadmaps, and anode material development data related to secondary battery materials research. B reportedly photographed approximately 200 pages of computer screens using a mobile phone while working from home.
KIPO's technology police launched the investigation in 2024 after receiving intelligence from the National Intelligence Service. Investigators identified B and secured evidence through searches of the suspect's workplace and residence. The probe revealed B had leaked 9,000 documents in total, with approximately 200 of those flowing to A.
Authorities said the investigation prevented core technologies from two major battery companies from being transferred overseas.
"This investigation stopped the damage before core technologies were leaked," KIPO said. "Until now, technology leaks have only resulted in punishment for insiders. The significance here is that we caught the foreign national who took the stolen materials."
KIPO Commissioner Kim Yong-sun said, "This investigation protected the core technology of solid-state batteries, which holds the future of Korea's secondary battery industry." He added, "The technology police is a specialized investigative unit equipped with both technical expertise and investigative capabilities. We will significantly expand our investigative workforce to root out technology leak crimes and respond firmly."