By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean govt accused of stealing semiconductor info developed by Samsung Electronics (KS:) has been detained once more on recent allegations associated to the theft of chip processing know-how, a courtroom official and his lawyer stated on Friday.

The Seoul Central District Courtroom issued a warrant to detain Choi Jinseog on Thursday resulting from issues he was a flight threat, stated a courtroom official, who declined to offer additional particulars.

Choi, a former Samsung govt who ran a chipmaking enterprise in China, has already been the topic of a high-profile industrial espionage trial since July 2023 and was arrested and launched on bail final November. He has rejected these costs.

He now faces new allegations of being concerned in stealing info associated to 20-nanometre DRAM chip processing from Samsung, Kim Pilsung, Choi’s lawyer, instructed Reuters.

Kim stated his shopper denied any wrongdoing and the knowledge he’s accused of stealing is publicly accessible.

Choi has not been indicted over the brand new allegations, his lawyer stated.

Samsung declined to remark.

In a case that underscores South Korea’s efforts to crack down on industrial espionage and sluggish China’s progress in chip manufacturing, Choi was indicted in June 2023, accused of searching for to construct a copycat chip manufacturing facility in China with delicate info developed by Samsung.

The award-winning engineer was as soon as seen as a star in South Korea’s chip business.

After being freed on bail, Choi instructed Reuters in April that police have been investigating him and one in every of his former staff, an ex-Samsung employee, over recent allegations associated to Samsung’s chip processing know-how.