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[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] A former researcher who attempted to leak Samsung Display’s OLED manufacturing technology received a reduced sentence in an appeal trial.


According to legal sources on the 24th, Suwon District Court’s 7th Criminal Appeals Division (Judge Kim Byung-soo) overturned the original six-year prison sentence for the accused, identified as A, and sentenced him to four years instead.


The court stated, "It has not been confirmed whether the trade secrets were leaked to or used by the Chinese company," adding, "Considering the sentences of other co-defendants, the original sentence was disproportionately severe and lacked balance."


A, a former senior researcher in Samsung Display’s equipment development team, was accused of illegally acquiring and using Samsung’s trade secrets from 2018 to May 2020. The stolen secrets pertained to OLED display technologies, including the ELA (Excimer Laser Annealing) system and OCR (Optical Clear Resin) inkjet equipment, with the intent to sell or provide them to Chinese companies.


The ELA system's optical inversion technology maintains the intensity and safety of lasers used in OLED display circuitry. Investigators estimated the stolen technology to be valued at a minimum of 340 billion KRW (approximately $267 million USD).


A worked at Samsung Display for over a decade and was considered an expert in the OLED field. After resigning, he established and operated a domestic display company, B, and a Chinese company, C. It was revealed that A diverted Samsung’s OLED display technology to B, then sought to sell and provide it to Chinese firms through C.


During his employment at Samsung Display, A recruited subordinates, colleagues, and friends to participate in his scheme. He transferred trade secrets to company B and mimicked Samsung’s technology. Five accomplices were indicted in August 2020, including former Samsung Display researchers who were sentenced to one to two years in prison. Two friends received suspended prison sentences.


A fled to China during the investigation and remained abroad for over three years. In May 2023, he voluntarily returned to Korea, leading prosecutors to resume the investigation. A was arrested in September 2023 and later indicted. Initially sentenced to six years in prison in July 2023, A was detained but later released due to the expiration of his detention period. He was then retried and received the reduced sentence of four years.

 

 

 

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