Seoul's High Court upheld an 18-month prison sentence for a former SK Hynix employee. The individual leaked semiconductor manufacturing technology to a Chinese company. The employee leaked classified information in 2022 while working at SK Hynix's office in China.
The leaked trade secrets involved CMOS image sensors. This technology is used in smartphone cameras and laptops. The individual printed or photographed documents from SK Hynix's internal server. The employee included confidential data in a resume submitted to a Chinese firm. Reports identified this firm as HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary. The employee admitted the charges. SK Hynix reportedly recovered most of the leaked information.