What you should know
- Kim, an ex-Samsung employee, was issued an arrest warrant for leaking Samsung’s chip technology to a Chinese company, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT).
- He was charged with violating the industrial technology protection law, specifically for stealing information related to Samsung’s 16-nano DRAM semiconductor.
- The Samsung 16-nanometer DRAM tech leak is estimated to be worth about 2.3 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in damages.
- Another person, Bang, a former Samsung subcontractor, was also arrested on charges of violating South Korea’s Prevention and Protection of Industrial Technology Leakage Act.
Full Story
It’s a story as old as the hills. A guy’s got a cushy job at company “A”. Then, like a bolt from the blue, company “B” struts in. They’re offering big bucks for company “A’s” secrets, and our main man can’t say no. He jumps ship. Next thing you know, he’s in handcuffs, facing charges. End scene. That’s Kim’s tale for you.
Now, we’re not sure if Kim’s his real name or just a cover. But his run-ins with the law? They’re as real as it gets (hat tip to SamMobile).
Latest buzz is that Kim used to be a Samsung guy. An arrest warrant’s been issued in his name. Why? He’s accused of spilling Samsung’s secret sauce – their chip technology – to a Chinese company. Korean news outlets say he used to be a big shot at Samsung, heading a department and all.
The charges? Violating the industrial technology protection law. That’s what the bigwigs say. The ex-Samsung guy allegedly swiped info about Samsung’s 16-nano DRAM semiconductor and sold it to a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (or CXMT, for short).
Insiders say the leaked Samsung 16-nanometer DRAM tech could cost a whopping 2.3 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in damages. Tom’s Hardware gives us the lowdown on Kim’s shenanigans. Apparently, he hung up his boots in 2016 and hightailed it to CXMT in China. Word on the street is that he was a full-timer at Samsung.
Rumor has it, CXMT was shelling out “several million dollars in annual salary” to Kim. Sounds “extraordinary”, doesn’t it? They say Kim was sharing the lowdown on semiconductor deposition technology.
Oh, and there’s another guy in the mix – Bang. He’s just a “former Samsung subcontractor”.
Both these guys, Kim and Bang, were chilling in China. They recently flew back to South Korea. And guess what? They were arrested pronto, accused of breaking South Korea’s Prevention and Protection of Industrial Technology Leakage Act.
