Two former Samsung bigwigs nabbed for allegedly swiping $3.2 billion worth of the company's intellectual property to build a 'brand new second-hand' chip fab in China

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South Korean authorities recently placed two former Samsung execs in jail for allegedly leaking $3.2 billion worth of secrets to China.

What you need to know

  • Two ex-Samsung executives recently faced the long arm of justice for allegedly stealing the company's intellectual property, worth $3.2 billion.
  • The officials used the resources to set up a joint venture, building 20nm DRAM chips at Chengdu Gaozhen, China — and even recruited several South Korean experts.
  • Authorities are still investigating whether more technology was stolen from Samsung without the company's knowledge.

Earlier this week, two former Samsung executives found themselves between a rock and a hard place after being placed behind bars. According to Bloomberg, the officials allegedly stole Samsung technologies worth approximately $3.2 billion (4.3 trillion won) to build a chip-making plant in China (via Tom's Hardware).

The South Korean authorities loosely referred to the perpetrators using their surnames, listing Mr. Choi as the instigator who set up a joint venture building chips in China. Choi reportedly attempted to recruit several local officials to join the scheme where he served as the CEO. 

Choi's shady business deals caught the authorities' attention after being suspected of leaking Samsung memory technologies to build 20nm DRAM chips at Chengdu Gaozhen, China. According to South Korean authorities, Choi's move "weakened the nation's competitiveness when the countries are in a global chip war."

Samsung is among the leading memory manufacturers specializing in storage and memory solutions. To this end, South Korean authorities are still investigating the matter to establish the extent of the damage and whether more technology was stolen from Samsung unsuspectingly. 

Samsung may have a mole

Last year, a former SK Hynix employee was arrested for allegedly printing 3,000 pages of semiconductor process with the intent to share trade secrets with competitors. The employee was reportedly gearing up to share the top secret information with Huawei, though she categorically denied the allegations. 

Similarly, Samsung was in a South Korean court last year after a former executive at the company reportedly stole trade secrets with the intent to set up a chip fab in China. As reported by The Register, both perpetrators share the same last name. 

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Kevin Okemwa
Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.