On September 5th, a Thursday, the Seoul District Court in South Korea issued an arrest warrant for former Samsung Electronics executive Choi Jinseog, again detaining him. Choi’s lawyer stated on Friday the 6th that Choi is accused of participating in the theft of Samsung Electronics chip technology for a chip plant in China.
According to Reuters, a court official in South Korea expressed concerns about Choi Jinseog’s risk of fleeing, leading the Seoul Central District Court to issue the arrest warrant on Thursday and detain him. The official declined to provide further details.
Choi Jinseog is a former high-ranking executive at Samsung Electronics who operated a chip manufacturing plant in China. Since July 2023, he has been a highly watched industrial spy, having been arrested in November last year and subsequently released on bail. He has refuted all allegations.
Choi’s lawyer, Kim Pilsung, informed Reuters that Choi is facing new charges of involvement in the theft of technology related to Samsung’s 20-nanometer DRAM chip processing. However, Choi denies any wrongdoing, stating that the information he is accused of stealing is public.
In June 2023, Choi was accused of attempting to establish a counterfeit chip plant in China using sensitive technology developed by Samsung. This case highlights South Korea’s efforts to combat industrial espionage and prevent the leakage of sensitive technology to China.
After being released on bail in April 2024, Choi revealed that the authorities are investigating his involvement with another former Samsung Electronics employee, suspecting them of stealing Samsung Electronics chip technology.