Former Samsung Researcher Leaks Company Secrets, China Pays Rp 34 Trillion

A former researcher at Samsung Electronics has been caught leaking his former company’s secrets to foreign parties. A South Korean court has revealed that the 56-year-old man was paid 2.9 billion won (Rp 33.8 trillion) for the crime.

The former Samsung employee is among 10 defendants accused of leaking company secrets. They provided information to Chinese chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) in exchange for 2.9 billion won over six years.

A Yonhap News Agency report states that the information leak occurred after the defendant moved to a Chinese company. He relocated along with other former Samsung Electronics officials.

Local authorities explained that this crime assisted China’s development of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), quoted from Reuters, Thursday (23/4/2026).

HBM, or high-bandwidth memory, is a critical component for artificial intelligence (AI) computing.

Samsung Electronics declined to comment, while CXMT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

For context, CXMT is known as one of China’s leading chip producers. The company is preparing to conduct an IPO.

CXMT stated it aims to raise 29.5 billion yuan (Rp 74.8 trillion) or 10.6 billion shares through the IPO. The proceeds from the plan will be used to enhance production lines and technology.