Former SK Hynix engineer indicted for stealing advanced HBM tech for Huawei-linked firm

A former SK Hynix engineer has been detained and formally indicted for allegedly stealing advanced semiconductor knowledge, most notably next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging processes, and attempting to pass it to Huawei-affiliated HiSilicon. Prosecutors describe the technology involved as a “future growth engine” for South Korea’s chip sector.

According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the employee, identified only as Kim, worked for SK Hynix’s Chinese subsidiary and began gathering sensitive documents after receiving a job offer from HiSilicon. Investigators say Kim printed internal files, removed security markings, and photographed roughly 11,000 pages of proprietary data, including confidential road-maps for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and HBM manufacturing steps.

The cache reportedly featured details on hybrid bonding, a stacking technique SK Hynix and Samsung are both evaluating for forthcoming HBM generations. Hybrid bonding can shrink die size while markedly improving bandwidth and energy efficiency—benefits viewed as critical for artificial-intelligence accelerators and other high-performance workloads.

Kim’s plan began to unravel earlier this month. Industrial-technology investigators tracked his activities for several months and intercepted him at Incheon International Airport shortly before departure. He now faces charges under South Korea’s Act on Prevention of Divulgence and Protection of Industrial Technology, legislation that allows for prison terms of up to ten years and fines equivalent to roughly $71,000; harsher sentences apply when “strategic sectors” such as semiconductors are affected.

Authorities suggest the incident is part of a wider pattern of attempted intellectual-property transfers to Chinese firms, citing earlier cases involving Samsung. Prosecutors have pledged a “stern response” to safeguard domestic innovation and national economic interests as demand for cutting-edge memory solutions intensifies.