The logo of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is seen during a government audit on the spy agency at NIS headquarters in Seoul, in this Nov. 3, 2020, file photo. Joint Press Corps
The National Assembly introduced a bill on Wednesday, led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), that would expand the country’s espionage law to criminalize spying for any foreign government, not just North Korea, amid growing concerns over alleged intelligence activities involving Chinese nationals.
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which opposed a set of revision bills on the Criminal Act, responded with a filibuster.
If passed, the measure would mark the first fundamental overhaul of South Korea’s espionage statutes since their enactment in 1953. Currently, the law defines an "enemy state" almost exclusively as North Korea. This narrow legal framework has left prosecutors hamstrung, unable to levy treason-level charges against those spying for other foreign powers, including China or Russia, unless a direct link to Pyongyang could be proven.
The proposed amendment reflects the changing nature of espionage targeting South Korea, which now extends beyond traditional military intelligence to industrial and advanced technology sectors.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Park Sun-won of the ruling party, along with 17 other lawmakers from the DPK.
Under the current Criminal Act, individuals caught engaging in espionage activities for an "enemy state" can face severe penalties, including capital punishment. But as South Korean law designates North Korea as the only enemy state, espionage charges apply exclusively to those involving Pyongyang.
As a result, individuals accused of spying for other countries cannot be prosecuted for espionage charges, even if they are alleged to have gathered sensitive information on South Korea.
The proposed revision follows a series of incidents in recent years involving foreign nationals accused of photographing sensitive military sites.
Data submitted to PPP Rep. Yu Yong-weon by the National Police Agency in October 2025 showed that 14 foreign nationals were caught over the past five years on suspicion of violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act. Among them, seven individuals caught in 2025 included four Chinese nationals and three Taiwanese nationals.
Source: Korea Times News
