Samsung robbed of technology. The former director wanted to copy the entire factory, it was to be built in China

The man, who had worked at Samsung Electronics for a total of 28 years, was arrested last month. Prosecutors say the former director of the company illegally obtained a factory design from the company in order to build a copy of the plant. The competing facility was to be built 1.5 kilometers from the company’s chip factory in Xian, he writes.

He robbed Samsung of data. The company estimates losses at at least $233 million

“This is a serious crime that could deal a heavy blow to our economic security, shaking the foundations of the country’s chip industry in an era of intensifying competition in chip manufacturing,” said the prosecutor’s office, which estimates that the data theft caused Samsung Electronics a loss of at least $233 million. . The South Korean prosecutor’s office also explains that a copy of the Samsung factory was to be built on the basis of data from 2018-2019, but ultimately the construction did not take place due to financial problems. The man pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Prosecutors also charged six other people with their suspected involvement in the data theft – including an employee of an inspection company who was accused of revealing the architectural plan of Samsung’s semiconductor factory.

South Korea fights corporate espionage. The police made arrests

Recently, South Korea has been increasingly active in the fight against corporate espionage. The city said it had arrested 77 people involved in 35 suspected industrial espionage cases over the past four months as part of a nationwide investigation. “We will strictly deal with any leaks of our technology abroad and take a firm stand against illegal leaks of core technology from domestic companies, including in the semiconductor, automotive and shipbuilding sectors,” a national police official said in a statement, quoted by Reuters.