Authorities said the couple had sought to build a semiconductor facility on the mainland, amid a growing technology war between the US and China over the semiconductor sector.

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South Korean police have accused two former Samsung executives of stealing technology secrets worth more than $3.2 billion. Photo: Bloomberg

One of the two former executives arrested was identified as Choi, 66, who recruited many Korean chip experts and leaked Samsung's memory technology through a joint venture company.

Although no time frame or specifics were given, Bloomberg reported that some details indicated that the case could be uncovered in 2023. Police accused the suspects of stealing blueprints and attempting to copy them to build a manufacturing plant in China.

South Korea is the world's leading memory chip maker and is also a key US ally in efforts to curb China's semiconductor ambitions.

According to a statement from Seoul police, the joint venture company was identified as Chengdu Gaozhen, with Choi as the head and assisted by a chip factory design expert surnamed Oh.

The pair worked with local Chinese authorities to produce 20-nanometer DRAM chips last year, which police said not only harmed Samsung but also “undermined the country’s competitiveness in the global chip war.”

Samsung Electronics representatives declined to comment on the incident.

(According to Bloomberg)

Samsung to cut up to 30% of overseas staff Samsung, the South Korean smartphone giant, is cutting up to 30% of staff in some departments at its overseas branches.