Republic of Korea: Bill amending Act on prevention of unfair competition and protection of trade secrets was introduced to Assembly

On 27 February 2026, the Bill amending the Act on the Prevention of Unfair Competition and Protection of Trade Secrets was introduced to the National Assembly. The Act applies to businesses operating in Korea and regulates unfair competition and the protection of trade secrets. In particular, the Act applies to businesses handling trade secrets, including industrial technology, manufacturing know-how, and customer information. It prohibits acts of unfair competition, including the unauthorised use of well-known marks in a manner likely to cause confusion, false or misleading indications of origin, abusive registration or use of domain names, imitation of product shapes, and the unlawful acquisition, use, or disclosure of trade secrets. Under the proposed amendments, new Articles 12-2 to 12-5 would grant the Head of the Korean Intellectual Property Office authority to investigate trade secret infringement, issue corrective recommendations and corrective orders, and impose administrative monetary penalties on infringing parties.