South Korea Indicts 10 Over DRAM Tech Leak to China's CXMT

Seoul prosecutors officially indicted 10 individuals, including former Samsung Electronics engineers, on December 26, 2025, in an industrial espionage case. They are suspected of illegally transferring confidential DRAM manufacturing technologies to the Chinese company ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). According to investigation files, the leak included blueprints and process charts critical for creating next-generation memory, including HBM (High Bandwidth Memory)—a key component of modern AI accelerators.

Korean authorities view this incident as a grave threat to national economic security. The leak could have allowed CXMT to narrow the multi-year gap with market leaders Samsung and SK Hynix in the race to supply AI memory. The case highlights the fierceness of the tech war between nations and the growing risks of corporate espionage. Experts expect tighter personnel control measures at Korean tech giants, as maintaining leadership in HBM production is the #1 priority for the country's economy.

Source: Reuters