A South Korean court has handed down a seven-year prison sentence to a former Samsung Electronics researcher who was convicted of stealing valuable semiconductor technology and providing it to a Chinese competitor.
On Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the 56-year-old defendant violated South Korea’s Industrial Technology Protection Act. The court determined that the stolen information represented core national technology and that the defendant had actively participated in a conspiracy to transfer the sensitive data.
The convicted researcher was part of a group of 10 individuals charged last year with stealing memory chip production secrets and delivering them to Chinese manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). South Korean authorities stated this technology theft assisted China in advancing its high-bandwidth memory capabilities, which are essential components for artificial intelligence systems.
Neither Samsung Electronics nor CXMT provided statements when contacted for comment regarding the sentencing.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, the defendant transferred Samsung’s DRAM manufacturing process technology to CXMT after joining the Chinese company alongside another former Samsung executive. The prosecution alleged he collected approximately 2.9 billion won, equivalent to $1.96 million, from CXMT over a six-year period in exchange for the stolen technology.
Representatives from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office were unavailable for immediate comment when contacted.
CXMT, a major Chinese semiconductor manufacturer, announced plans last year to conduct an initial public offering worth 29.5 billion yuan ($4.33 billion) by selling 10.6 billion shares on the Shanghai stock exchange. The company indicated it would use the funding to enhance its production facilities and technological capabilities.
