Ex-Samsung executive Choi Jinseog gets bail in industrial espionage case

A South Korean court has granted bail to a former executive of Samsung Electronics accused of stealing sensitive information developed by the technology giant, court records showed on Tuesday.

In a case that underscores the country's efforts to crack down on industrial espionage, prosecutors have alleged that the former executive Choi Jinseog, a South Korean chip expert, stole information formulated by the world's top memory chipmaker to help his client set up a chip factory in China.

Choi has denied the charges.


The district court in Suwon, south of Seoul, accepted a bail request for Choi on November 10, court records showed, without providing further details.

Lawyers for Choi were not immediately available for comment, but a source close to Choi confirmed he had been released on bail.

Samsung Electronics did not immediately provide a comment.

The high-profile criminal case against Choi, an award-winning engineer once seen as a star in South Korea's chip industry, highlights a drive by Seoul to thwart industrial espionage and slow China's progress in chip manufacturing.