Samsung Display’s Asan campus was searched by police amid allegations of technology leakage to a Chinese competitor.

On October 2, sources reveal that the Industrial Technology Security Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a raid the previous day at Samsung Display’s Asan campus in South Chungcheong Province, on suspicion of violating the Industrial Technology Protection Act.

Investigators are reportedly looking into claims that certain employees at the site transferred cutting-edge organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology to a specific competitor in China.

The employees under investigation have initially denied the allegations.

The Industrial Technology Protection Act imposes a minimum jail sentence of three years and fines up to KRW 6.5 billion for leaking core national technologies, and up to 15 years’ imprisonment or fines up to KRW 3 billion for leaking industrial technologies.

A police official stated, “The investigation is still in its early stages. We are verifying both the technology involved and the relevant circumstances.”

Cases of domestic advanced and core technologies being leaked abroad continue to emerge. Authorities uncovered 27 cases of overseas technology leakage last year and have already identified eight cases in the first half of this year. Of the cases detected in 2024, most—25—were directed toward China.

Just a day prior, former Samsung Electronics employees were brought to trial for allegedly leaking national core technology, which contributed to the development of China’s first 18-nanometer DRAM semiconductors.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News