SK Hynix. (Photo=SK Hynix)

 

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Minyoung] A Chinese national who formerly worked at SK Hynix has been handed over to trial on charges of allegedly stealing semiconductor core technology and providing it to the rival Chinese company, Huawei.

According to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency's Industrial Technology Security Investigation Unit on the 29th, a Chinese national woman in her 30s was arrested last month and handed over to the prosecution on charges of violating the law on the prevention and protection of industrial technology leaks. She is currently being prosecuted at the Yeosu Branch of the Suwon District Court.

According to the police, the woman worked in a department analyzing defects in semiconductor designs after joining SK Hynix in 2013. From 2020 to 2022, she worked as a team leader-level employee in the customer consultation team for inter-company transactions at a local subsidiary in China. In June 2022, she returned to Korea and joined Huawei with a high salary on the same month.

Investigation results confirmed that the woman printed out about 3,000 pages of documents, including solutions to core semiconductor process issues, just before leaving her job. The documents are said to cover the entire semiconductor process, which refers to the front-end process of making semiconductor wafers and etching circuits.

SK Hynix prohibits the use of portable storage devices (USB memory) and manages printed materials by recording detailed information such as content, printer, and usage location. SK Hynix was aware of the fact that a former employee had printed out some technology-related documents during her employment and reported it to the investigative agency.

The police arrested the woman upon her arrival in Korea for a travel purpose last month and confiscated her mobile phone. The police believe that the woman exported the documents to the outside world in multiple batches. She reportedly denied the charges, claiming that she had no intention of leaking technology.

 

 

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