Two ex-Samsung Electronics staff indicted in custody over SEMES chip technology leak
In short
Prosecutors in Seoul indicted two former Samsung Electronics employees in custody on 15 October over the alleged leak of chip technology from Samsung subsidiary SEMES. One of them, Kim, is accused of passing overhead hoist transport (OHT) design drawings and other confidential data to a company he runs. Prosecutors are also investigating the company's co-CEO, a lawyer.
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Two former Samsung Electronics employees have been sent to trial in custody over the alleged leak of semiconductor technology from SEMES, a Samsung Electronics subsidiary. Yonhap and Newsis, citing legal circles, reported on 22 October that the Seoul Central District Prosecution Office's Serious Crime Prosecution Unit 5, headed by Park Kyung-taek (박경택), indicted the pair on 15 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The main suspect is identified only as Kim. According to the reports, he worked at Samsung Electronics and later served as a SEMES executive, and now heads a semiconductor company. Prosecutors suspect he leaked confidential SEMES material, including design drawings for overhead hoist transport (OHT) equipment, to the company he operates. Newsis wrote that he is suspected of taking out key technical documents he handled while at SEMES. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A second former Samsung Electronics employee, surnamed An, is suspected of conspiring with Kim and helping to leak SEMES secrets, Maeil Business and Yonhap reported. Yonhap and Newsis cite the Unfair Competition Prevention Act as the basis of the charges, while Maeil Business and Newsis also name the law on protecting trade secrets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Prosecutors are also investigating the co-CEO of Kim's company, a lawyer, after identifying signs that this person took part in the leak. Maeil Business refers to the lawyer as "B", while Yonhap and Newsis refer to the lawyer as "A"; none gives a name. Maeil Business reported that prosecutors are questioning the co-CEO and others about how the leak happened and whether the leaked data was used, and plan to decide soon whether to indict. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Maeil Business said prosecutors took Kim and the other suspect into custody on 30 September and indicted them. It described OHT as logistics automation equipment that moves containers holding wafers along rails on a chip production line ceiling to process equipment, and said Samsung Electronics holds a majority stake in SEMES, which develops and makes factory automation, logistics and chip manufacturing equipment. Yonhap described SEMES as a maker of semiconductor cleaning equipment. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The case concerns alleged leakage of a Samsung Electronics subsidiary's confidential semiconductor equipment data to an outside company. The documents give no information on damage or on any court ruling, so the significance rests on the pending trial and the continuing investigation of a further suspect.
Key facts
- The Seoul Central District Prosecution Office's Serious Crime Prosecution Unit 5 indicted two former Samsung Electronics employees in custody on 15 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim, who worked at Samsung Electronics and later as a SEMES executive, now heads a semiconductor company; he is suspected of leaking OHT design drawings and other confidential material to the company he runs. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Another former Samsung Electronics employee, surnamed An, is suspected of conspiring with Kim in the leak. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Prosecutors have identified signs that the co-CEO of Kim's company, a lawyer, took part in the leak and are continuing to investigate. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The charges include violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act; Maeil Business and Newsis also cite the Trade Secret Protection Act. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- SEMES is a Samsung Electronics subsidiary; Samsung Electronics holds a majority of its shares. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Two former Samsung Electronics employees, including Kim, were indicted in custody on 15 October over the alleged leak of SEMES semiconductor technology. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim is accused of leaking OHT design drawings and other confidential material from SEMES to a company he runs. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Prosecutors are investigating the lawyer who is co-CEO of Kim's company over suspected involvement in the leak. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The identity label of the co-CEO under investigation. Maeil Business calls the lawyer "B", while Yonhap and Newsis call the lawyer "A"; the documents give no name.
- Whether and when the co-CEO will be indicted. Only Maeil Business says prosecutors plan to decide soon; it is not stated in the other documents.
- Whether the leaked material was used. Maeil Business says prosecutors are examining how the leak happened and whether the leaked data was used; no document reports a finding.