LG Display’s Paju plant in Gyeonggi [LG DISPLAY]

 
Police have launched an investigation after detecting signs that key LG Display technologies were leaked to China — the latest in a series of suspected overseas technology thefts involving Korea’s display industry.
 
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Industrial Technology Security Investigation Unit said Monday it had raided LG Display’s Paju plant in Gyeonggi on Oct. 2. Investigators suspect two LG Display employees of leaking proprietary display technologies to a Chinese company, in violation of the Industrial Technology Protection Act.
 
 
During the raid, police reportedly seized hundreds of photos from one suspect’s mobile phone, including images of internal company documents. The materials are said to contain crucial process data and design-related technology tied to LG Display’s core manufacturing operations.
 
Authorities said they have uncovered 27 cases of overseas technology leaks last year and eight in the first half of this year, with 25 of them traced to China.
 
Just days earlier, on Oct. 1, police also searched Samsung Display’s Asan campus in South Chungcheong after finding evidence that the company’s latest display technology had been leaked to another Chinese firm. Investigators believe the two cases involve different Chinese companies.
 
A police official warned that the ongoing leaks pose a grave threat to Korea’s industrial competitiveness. “The outflow of strategic national technologies abroad is a serious risk,” the official said. “We will strengthen our investigations to root out advanced technology leaks.”
 

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]