"Samsung Confidential Data Leak" Former Vice President Ahn Seungho Sentenced to 3 Years in First Trial...Bail Maintained

"A Serious Crime That Harms Individual Companies"

Former Samsung Electronics Vice President Ahn Seungho, who was indicted on charges of leaking Samsung Electronics' internal confidential data, has been sentenced to a prison term in the first trial.

Ahn Seungho, former vice president of Samsung Electronics, is attending a detention warrant hearing (warrant review) at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on May 30, 2024. Yonhap News

The 28th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Han Dae-gyun) on the 11th sentenced former Vice President Ahn to three years in prison on charges of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act (including leaking trade secrets).

The court explained the reasons for sentencing, stating that although he is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record, using secrets of a company where one worked for personal gain is a serious crime that harms the individual company. However, his bail status was maintained in consideration of the fact that there was no risk of flight, among other factors.

After retiring as head of the Samsung Electronics IP Center in 2019, former Vice President Ahn founded the patent management company Synergy IP. He is accused of receiving internal confidential data in the form of patent analysis information from Lee, a former employee of the Samsung Electronics IP Center, and using it in a patent infringement lawsuit between Synergy IP and Samsung Electronics.

He was indicted and stood trial in custody in June last year. His bail application was granted in November of the same year, and he has since been tried without detention. In July last year, the prosecution had sought a seven-year prison term for the former vice president.

Meanwhile, Lee, former head of the application group at Samsung Display who was indicted along with former Vice President Ahn, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to forfeit 536.12 million won, and Lee, a former Samsung Electronics IP Center employee charged with leaking data, was sentenced to two years in prison.