최근 신냉전 시대가 본격화되고 방위산업이 급부상하면서 국가 간 방위산업기술 확보 경쟁이 심화하는 가운데 방위산업기술 유출·침해 문제가 사회적 문제로 대두되었다. 현재 「방위산업기술보호법」이 시행 중이나, 빠르게 변화하고 있는 방위산업기술을 체계적으로 보호하지 못하고 있다. 또한 방위산업기술의 해외 유출사건이 증가하면서 이에 대한 수사기관의 강력한 조사와 처벌이 요구되고 있으나 법 제도적인 한계가 존재한다.
따라서 본 연구에서는 국내 책임 안보수사기관으로서 방위산업기술 유출·침해에 대한 범죄수사와 방지를 위한 경찰역할에 대해 살펴보고, 방위산업기술보호법 중심으로 현재 방위산업기술 보호 체계의 문제점을 분석한 후에 기술보호를 위한 법 제도적 개선방안을 제시하고자 한다.
구체적으로 보호기술의 범위와 방위산업체 및 협력업체의 포괄적 검토·관리, 기술유출사건에 대한 처벌 및 양형기준의 강화, 핵심인력 관리와 인식제고를 위한 교육·성과제도 등 법률정비를 통해 명시적으로 규정하여야 하며, 방위산업기술 보호를 위한 경찰의 역량 강화 노력과 함께 경찰의 수사전문성 확보와 관계기간 간 공조체계 구축을 위한 법 제도적 근거를 마련하여야 할 것이다.
With the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the New Cold War era is in full swing. The Defense Industry Technology Protection Act is currently in effect to protect technology, but it has limitations in that it does not systematically protect the rapidly changing defense industry. In addition, the number of cases of overseas leakage of defense industry technology is increasing, but the actual punishment is weak, and there are also legal deficiencies such as the lack of a coordination system and the lack of control tower between intelligence agencies and investigation agencies.
Therefore, in order to develop Korea's defense industry technology, it is necessary to strengthen the legal system to protect technology and investigate and punish leakage cases, and it is time to further focus on the investigative capabilities of the National Police Agency, the agency responsible for the country’s security investigations.
In order to systematically protect defense industry technologies that are directly related to national security and economic development, the scope of protected technologies, comprehensive review and management of defense companies and their suppliers, strengthening of punishment and sentencing standards for technology leakage cases, and education and performance systems for managing key personnel and raising awareness should be explicitly stipulated through legislative revisions. In addition, efforts should be made to strengthen the capacity of the police to protect defense industry technologies, and the legal basis should be laid for securing police investigative expertise and establishing a coordination system amongst the related parties. In addition, based on the principle of mutual cooperation, a system should be established for relevant agencies to cooperate and efficiently converge their capabilities to protect defense industrial technology, and a clear coordination system should be established between intelligence agencies to investigate leakage infringements.