According to reports from foreign media, a few days ago, South Korean prosecutors filed charges against 11 employees of a Samsung subsidiary.
The lawsuit was initiated by the Suwon Prosecutor's Office in South Korea. The 11 employees are suspected of having worked for a company that allegedly produced automated equipment for manufacturing mobile phone screens. The company is accused of leaking Samsung Display's OLED edge panel 3D placement technology.
The individuals involved in the case set up an independent shell company to obtain information on equipment and panel designs from their cooperation with Samsung. They then resold these technological secrets in China for a total of 15.5 billion won (approximately $13.8 million).
Currently, 3 out of the 11 suspects, including the company's CEO, have been arrested and are awaiting trial. Two other employees of a Chinese company are also suspected of involvement in the technology theft but have not been prosecuted.
The Suwon Prosecutor's Office stated that the perpetrators used pseudonyms, fictitious phone calls, and personal email addresses to avoid detection.
The South Korean prosecutor emphasized that the technology leaked by Samsung Display had been developed over six years, with the participation of 38 engineers and an investment of 150 billion won (approximately $134 million). This technology is considered a national core technology, protected under the Korean Industrial Technology Protection Law.
