On May 30, the Supreme Court of South Korea shook the academic community. The court upheld the decision to sentence a prominent scientist to two years in prison for transferring data of national importance to foreign researchers. 

While working at a leading university in South Korea, a scientist known as Professor Lee collaborated with Chinese researchers as part of China's Thousand Talents Plan, a government program to attract foreign experts.

The technology Lee was working on, a remote sensing system for autonomous vehicles, is designated as a "national core technology" by the South Korean government. The court ruled that Lee violated South Korea's Industrial Technology Protection Act by providing access to national core technology and leaked trade secrets by providing research data belonging to the university without consent or approval.

Scientists should understand the legal implications of cooperation with foreign partners. How can this be achieved?

First, educational institutions need clear agreements for each international collaboration that define what data can be shared, with whom, and how.

Second, researchers must undergo mandatory training on data security, export controls, and intellectual property before taking on international projects.

Third, research managers must create a culture of accountability. This requires normalizing practices such as marking confidential files, restricting access to data based on the need to expose risky behavior. Researchers should be transparent within their institutions about participation in foreign programs and seek guidance on such cooperation at an early stage.

Fourth, governments should clarify what is considered a core national technology in a research setting.

Failure to address these issues could lead to a deterrent to international scientific cooperation, which would stifle innovation.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02182-2