1 suicide, 2 arrests in tech leak probe
Published: 11 Sep. 2009, 02:45
A former employee of a General Motors Corp. unit killed himself amid a Korean investigation into alleged technology leaks to a Russian automaker, and prosecutors have arrested two other workers as part of the probe, officials said yesterday.
An official at Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said two former GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. employees were arrested last week on charges of leaking key information on the firm’s popular Lacetti sedan before moving to a Korean branch of Russian automaker TagAZ.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy, didn’t provide details. Yonhap news agency reported the leaks helped TagAZ develop its C100 model sedan. The official also said a South Korean executive of TagAZ Korea who was also under investigation in the case recently killed himself.
TagAZ Korea said the man was found hanging in the basement of the firm’s Seoul building Friday, one day after he underwent a prosecution probe over the case. TagAZ Korea official Chung Chan-keun said the man had worked for GM Daewoo before joining the Russian company, but didn’t specify what charges he was facing.
The arrested Koreans allegedly violated Korea’s laws that protect business secrets and guard against unfair corporate competition, the prosecution official said. Yonhap, citing an unidentified prosecution official, said the two allegedly took out thousands of computer files containing GM Daewoo’s automobile technologies before joining TagAZ Korea in 2006 and 2008, respectively. AP
An official at Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said two former GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. employees were arrested last week on charges of leaking key information on the firm’s popular Lacetti sedan before moving to a Korean branch of Russian automaker TagAZ.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy, didn’t provide details. Yonhap news agency reported the leaks helped TagAZ develop its C100 model sedan. The official also said a South Korean executive of TagAZ Korea who was also under investigation in the case recently killed himself.
TagAZ Korea said the man was found hanging in the basement of the firm’s Seoul building Friday, one day after he underwent a prosecution probe over the case. TagAZ Korea official Chung Chan-keun said the man had worked for GM Daewoo before joining the Russian company, but didn’t specify what charges he was facing.
The arrested Koreans allegedly violated Korea’s laws that protect business secrets and guard against unfair corporate competition, the prosecution official said. Yonhap, citing an unidentified prosecution official, said the two allegedly took out thousands of computer files containing GM Daewoo’s automobile technologies before joining TagAZ Korea in 2006 and 2008, respectively. AP
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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