CaliToday (27/12/2025): The global semiconductor landscape has been rocked by a high-profile industrial espionage scandal that reads like a Hollywood thriller. South Korean prosecutors have arrested and indicted a group of former Samsung Electronics employees accused of stealing core memory chip technology to hand over to a Chinese competitor.
According to a report by Sammy Fans, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has formally indicted 10 individuals involved in this large-scale trade secret leak.
The "Inside Job": 10 Indicted, 5 Detained
The scale of the betrayal is staggering. Of the 10 individuals charged, five are former Samsung veterans who have been placed under emergency arrest. The remaining five, including engineers with close ties to ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) a leading Chinese chipmaker have also been prosecuted.
The Target: Samsung's "Secret Weapon"
At the heart of the heist is the proprietary 10nm-class DRAM manufacturing process. This technology was considered Samsung's "secret weapon," instrumental in securing its dominance in the global semiconductor market.
Samsung Electronics had poured blood, sweat, and tears into this innovation:
- R&D Time: 5 grueling years.
- Investment: Over 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion).
However, all that effort was compromised in a flash. Investigators revealed that one key suspect meticulously hand-copied hundreds of steps of the top-secret manufacturing protocol before leaving the company, effectively handing the "blueprint for success" to the Chinese rival on a silver platter.
A Plot Worthy of a Spy Movie
This was no simple contract violation. The suspects allegedly executed a sophisticated cover-up operation to evade South Korean authorities.
- Ghost Companies: They established a web of shell companies to launder the transfer of information.
- Evasive Tactics: The group frequently changed office locations to stay off the radar.
- Secret Comms: They reportedly used personal names and distinct code names to communicate, hiding their tracks from digital surveillance.
SK Hynix Also Targeted
The investigation revealed that Samsung was not the only victim. SK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, was also targeted. The probe uncovered that CXMT had allegedly acquired SK Hynix’s DRAM technology illegally through a subcontractor as far back as 2020.
Catastrophic Economic Fallout
The financial implications of this leak are devastating for Samsung and the South Korean economy.
- Immediate Loss: Prosecutors estimate the leak could slash Samsung's revenue by roughly 5,000 billion won (nearly $3.8 billion) in 2024 alone.
- National Threat: Since semiconductors are South Korea's crown jewel export, the long-term damage to the national economy could escalate to tens of trillions of won.
As the investigation expands, industry analysts fear more shocking details will emerge, casting a long shadow over the fierce technological war between major chip-producing nations.