Two ex-Samsung executives arrested for allegedly stealing chip technology to build factory in China
Two ex-Samsung execs allegedly stole $3.2B in chip technology to build a factory in China, highlighting industrial espionage in the semiconductor sector.
Two former Samsung Electronics executives were arrested on charges of industrial espionage by South Korean authorities. The duo, known only by their surnames Choi and Oh, allegedly devised a plan to replicate a chipmaking factory in China, using stolen semiconductor technology valued at $3.2 billion.
Choi, 66, is accused of recruiting South Korean semiconductor experts and facilitating the leak of Samsung's proprietary memory technologies. Oh, a former senior researcher at Samsung, reportedly became the chief plant designer at the joint venture Chengdu Gaozhen and played a pivotal role in the alleged theft.
South Korean authorities view this as a severe national security breach that not only harmed Samsung but also weakened the nation's tech competitiveness. The incident occurs against a backdrop of rising tensions between China and the US over semiconductor technology, further complicating South Korea's position as a US ally with strong economic ties to China.