Discover Samsung, MASSIVE deals! Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold 6, Buds 3 Pro, or Watch Ultra - Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

    Korean authorities arrest ex-Samsung exec for industrial espionage

    General
    By 

    Last updated: September 17th, 2024 at 10:56 UTC+02:00

    At the beginning of the month, the industrial espionage case involving ex-Samsung executive Choi Jinseog re-emerged as the Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to detain Choi after deeming him a flight risk.

    The case moved forward, and according to newer reports, it appears to have culminated with the arrest of Mr. Choi and another former senior researcher at Samsung.

    Korean authorities, cited by the local media, said, “This case has shaken the foundation of economic security […], leading to a potential weakening of national competitiveness.”

    A leak worth roughly $3.26 billion

    Choi Jinseog is an ex-Samsung and SK Hynix executive who did crucial work developing DRAM memory chips for Samsung a couple of decades ago. He also worked on developing Samsung Foundry wafer technologies and was awarded internally for many of his efforts. He left Samsung in 2001 and joined SK Hynix, but things started going badly many more years later.

    In 2020, Mr. Choi collaborated with a local Chinese government to found his semiconductor company, Chengdu Gaozhen. However, last year, Mr. Choi's plans came to a grinding halt as he was accused of industrial espionage after stealing technologies and factory plans from Samsung.

    He was planning to use the stolen information to build his semiconductor facility in China with help from the local government. And last year, it was discovered that Foxconn may have been in the cards to become one of Mr. Choi's key clients. Foxconn denied it had anything to do with the trade leaks.

    The story continues after the video

    The Korean media states that another ex-Samsung senior researcher, named Oh, was crucial to the nefarious plan. Mr. Oh and other South Korean semiconductor experts were recruited by Choi to leak Samsung's core memory semiconductor technologies and factory plans.

    Both Choi and Oh were arrested last week, as per the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Industrial Technology Security Investigation Unit. Other employees who moved from Samsung and other domestic companies to Chengdu Gaozhen are also under investigation to determine whether they were involved with Choi's plan to leak trade secrets.

    The economic value of the leaked information, particularly everything that had to do with the 20nm manufacturing process, is estimated to be roughly 4.3 trillion won ($3.26 billion).

    BusinessGeneral ChinaDRAMSamsung ElectronicsSouth Korea Check out the latest Samsung offers
    Scroll for more related content
    News For You

    You might also like

    Samsung Foundry might be having major issues at Texas chip plant

    Samsung Foundry might be having major issues at Texas chip plant

    Samsung is reportedly taking drastic measures at its state-of-the-art chip manufacturing plant in Taylor, Texas, due to further delays and problems concerning low yields. In recent news (via Business Korea), Samsung supposedly withdrew personnel from the Texas chip manufacturing facility because of delays and slow progress concerning the yield of 2nm-based chips. Despite its efforts […]

    • By Mihai Matei
    • 21 hours ago
    Samsung accused of breaking India’s antitrust laws

    Samsung accused of breaking India’s antitrust laws

    Samsung and other smartphone brands are accused of breaking India's antitrust laws by colluding with online retail giants Amazon and Flipkart to launch exclusive phones for those platforms. The report alleges these firms offered preferences to select retailers, hurting others in the process. Samsung reportedly broke India's competition laws by launching online-exclusive smartphones According to […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 1 day ago
    A Samsung microwave returns to Samsung after 37 years in a heartwarming story

    A Samsung microwave returns to Samsung after 37 years in a heartwarming story

    Samsung Electronics has been making great home appliances for decades and this heartwarming story is a testament to the quality and durability of the products that it makes. A simple microwave oven that remained a fixture in the kitchen of Kim Kyu-won for 37 years and served the family diligently has been donated by the […]

    • By Adnan Farooqui
    • 5 days ago
    Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets new AI features with One UI 6.1.1 update

    Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets new AI features with One UI 6.1.1 update

    Samsung is expanding the reach of the One UI 6.1.1 update. The update was released to the Galaxy S24 series on September 5, and now, the update has been released to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 along with other flagship devices launched last year. One UI 6.1.1 debuted with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 5 days ago
    One UI 6.1.1 update is out now for Galaxy Z Flip 5!

    One UI 6.1.1 update is out now for Galaxy Z Flip 5!

    At long last, Samsung has released the One UI 6.1.1 update for the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The much-awaited version of One UI, which debuted with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6, has started rolling out to Samsung's high-end phones from 2023. The update was released to the Galaxy S24 […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 5 days ago
    Galaxy S23 FE starts getting One UI 6.1.1 update!

    Galaxy S23 FE starts getting One UI 6.1.1 update!

    After the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung has released the One UI 6.1.1 update for the Galaxy S23 FE as well. The update is currently rolling out in South Korea, and it could reach other countries in the coming days. This update brings several new Galaxy AI features and improvements to stock Samsung apps. Galaxy S23 […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 5 days ago