“The time my father was taken into custody for espionage in China coincided with when South Korea was in abuzz over the leakage of Samsung’s semiconductor technology to China.”
The daughter of a South Korean man in his 50s, recently confirmed by China to be detained for violating anti-espionage law, said in an interview with Chosun Ilbo on Oct. 30, “My father wasn’t even allowed to attend meetings at the Chinese semiconductor company where he worked and had no access to advanced technology. How could he suddenly be accused of espionage?” She suggested that with rising controversy over allegations of China stealing Korean semiconductor technology, China has adopted the anti-espionage law as a new response.
This South Korean national, who formerly worked for Samsung Electronics and later for the Chinese semiconductor firm ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), was taken into custody at his home in December last year. He was formally arrested in May and has been held in a detention center in Hefei on suspicion of leaking CXMT information to South Korea. This marks the first time China has applied its revised anti-espionage law, which broadened the scope of espionage charges, to a South Korean since it took effect in July last year.
His arrest came shortly after South Korean prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for a former Samsung Electronics employee who had transferred 16-nanometer DRAM technology, a type of memory semiconductor, to CXMT. In June last year, a former Samsung executive was also arrested for attempting to build a replica of Samsung’s chip factory in Xi’an, China. Public concern over the outflow of semiconductor technology to China surged in South Korea at that time. Analysts suggest that this incident breaks China’s previous practice of avoiding espionage accusations against South Korean technicians and skilled workers to protect its semiconductor industry. The detained man’s daughter said, “China may be setting a precedent by applying the anti-espionage law against South Korea.”
What happened after Chinese security agents arrived at your home last December?
“Early that morning, investigators came to our house in Hefei, Anhui Province, and took my father away. He was in his pajamas and requested to just change his clothes, while my mother, who doesn’t speak Chinese, sent him off without understanding what was happening. Before he was formally arrested on May 26 and sent to a detention center, my father was interrogated at a remote hotel in the city. My family still doesn’t know where that hotel was. Since then, we’ve only communicated with my father through letters, but even that stopped in September.”
Why do you think the Chinese authorities applied the anti-espionage law against your father?
”It coincides with the time when news broke in South Korea [on Dec. 13 last year] about the leak of Samsung semiconductor technology to ChangXin Memory Technologies. I wonder if the two events are connected. Even the South Korean Embassy in China referred to this case as ‘unusual.’”
What do the Chinese authorities say about his charges? Are there any specific terms they use?
”They haven’t provided any clear explanation. During my mother’s questioning as a witness in March, they frequently mentioned ‘ChangXin Memory.’ An investigator told her, ‘While it’s true your husband helped a Chinese company, he clearly did something wrong.’”
How involved was your father in technology development or business planning at CXMT?
“At CXMT, my father held a non-executive role, largely limited to document delivery and excluded from pivotal meetings. During the design phase of a new plant, the company implemented heightened security measures, reflecting increased caution toward foreign employees. Consequently, Koreans were restricted from accessing internal projects. My father’s area of expertise, ion implantation—a semiconductor process—was not even classified as a high-level technique.”
Since relocating to China nine years ago, your father has worked for three different companies. What prompted such frequent moves?
“CXMT terminated my father’s contract. He joined the company in October 2016 on a five-year agreement, but after only three years and six months, they asked him to leave. With little choice, he took a position at another company nearby in Shandong Province. At that time, other Korean technicians working with him also faced early dismissals before completing their contracts.”
What motivated an experienced Samsung technician with over 20 years in the field to move to China?
“After being unexpectedly forced to resign from Samsung, he sought employment with local companies, but it was challenging. With a family to support, including two daughters, he had to weigh his options carefully. Ultimately, he decided on China, encouraged by a recommendation from a former senior colleague at Samsung. Once he accepted the position, he even removed all personal computers from our home to avoid any potential security issues.”
Was he aware of the risk of being suspected of espionage while working in China?
“After leaving his Chinese employer early last year, my father returned to Korea to start a consulting business. However, shortly after the revised anti-espionage law took effect in September, he returned to China. He was unaware of any risk; he simply wanted to spend the Chuseok holiday with the family.”
I understand he hasn’t received his diabetes medication while in detention. How is his health holding up?
“Since his detention in May, my father has not received his diabetes medication even once. As a type 2 diabetic, he needs regular medication to control his blood sugar. However, a doctor at the detention center decided he didn’t need it based on current blood sugar levels, which puts him at high risk for complications.”
Given that foreigners detained under China’s anti-espionage law are rarely released, you must be extremely concerned.
“Under the anti-espionage law, he could face a prison sentence of over 10 years or even life imprisonment. The case was transferred to the prosecutor’s office this month, and we expect a decision by early November, with a trial likely by the end of the month.”
What do you find most unfair about this situation?
“From the beginning, there were issues with support from the Korean embassy in China, despite a Korean citizen being detained for such an extended period under China’s anti-espionage law—a deeply troubling situation. The embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Shanghai shifted responsibility between them, delaying consular assistance by nearly a week. I also question whether the Korean government has made sufficient diplomatic efforts.”
Is there anything from his letters that you hold onto?
“In handwritten letters, he often says, ‘Don’t worry’ and ‘It’s frustrating.’ When I sent him my graduation photos in June, he wrote back that he cried for a long time while looking at them.”
