S. Korean firms lose 5.6 tln won on technology leaks

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean businesses suffered a loss of at least 5.6 trillion won (US$4.9 billion) over the past three years due to leaks of their industrial technology, a lawmaker said Wednesday, citing a government report.
The businesses reported 244 cases of technology leaks from 2004 to 2010 while 13 percent of all businesses said they had their technology stolen in the three years starting from 2007, according to Rep. Kim Sung-hei of the ruling Grand National Party.
The related information was submitted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), set to undergo an annual parliamentary audit Wednesday.
The report showed small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were especially vulnerable to technology leaks as the total amount of damage suffered by large conglomerates in the 2007-2010 period only amounted to 558 billion won while that of SMEs came to over 5.07 trillion won, according to Kim.
The lawmaker urged increased efforts to develop ways to prevent leaks of industrial technology.
"Along with the development of the country's information technology, the means to steal industrial technologies, too, are becoming more advanced and intelligent," said Kim, a member of the parliamentary committee on knowledge economy."