Seoul Court Jails Ex-Samsung Engineer 5 Years for Leaking DRAM Technology to CXMT
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Nov 5
Seoul Court Jails Ex-Samsung Engineer 5 Years for Leaking DRAM Technology to CXMT
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Nov 5
Summary
Seoul High Court sentenced a former Samsung Electronics employee to five years in prison on Oct. 22 for leaking Samsung technology after he joined Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT in 2016.
The term was reduced from seven years imposed at his first trial in April, underscoring South Korea's tougher stance on semiconductor know-how it classifies as a national core technology.
CXMT's rise helps explain the pressure: Counterpoint projected the Chinese chipmaker would reach 10% of global DRAM revenue in the second quarter of 2026 as Chinese firms recruit overseas engineers with rich pay packages.
Samsung and other chipmakers are responding with non-compete clauses, tighter internal controls and litigation, while courts across Asia still face the hard task of separating an engineer's general expertise from a company's trade secrets.