Samsung Executive Charged with Stealing Designs for Copycat Chip Plant in China

A former Samsung executive, who also served as vice president of SK Hynix, has been indicted for allegedly stealing semiconductor plant blueprints and technology from Samsung between 2018 and 2019. The defendant reportedly planned to build a semiconductor plant in China, less than a mile from an existing Samsung plant, using stolen information. Six co-conspirators, including one Samsung sub-contractor, were indicted alongside the lead defendant. The leak reportedly cost Samsung about $230 million and is seen as a grave crime that could deal a heavy blow to South Korea's economic security.