South Korean prosecutors have indicted a former senior researcher for leaking 17 trade secret documents related to advanced display manufacturing automation technology to a Chinese company. The accused reportedly photographed the documents in early 2021 before transferring some to his new employer in China later that year. Two of the leaked technologies are classified as “national core technologies,” whose exposure could harm national security and economic development. The stolen materials, valued at $172.5 million (241.2 billion won), allegedly allowed China to bridge a decade-long technological gap.

Separately, four individuals have reportedly been charged with smuggling semiconductor integrated circuit chips worth about $10 million (14.1 billion won) from a U.S. manufacturer into China. The chips, which could be used in military applications such as radar and satellite communications, were allegedly disguised as sample products to evade export controls.