A former executive of Samsung Electronics has been accused by South Korean prosecutors of stealing the juggernaut's confidential semiconductor data to build a copycat chip facility in China.

The defendant is said to be a 65-year-old man who had previously worked at SK Hynix, a Korean chipmaker. According to reports, he was detained on charges of infringement against industrial technology protection laws and the stealing of trade secrets in 2018 and 2019 by allegedly copying Samsung's semiconductor plant about 1.5 kilometers from a Samsung chip factory in Xi'an, China.

The ex-Samsung executive tried to build the copycat chip plant by attempting to put together a fabrication line and staff it with engineers, prosecutors said. However, the deal allegedly went sour after his backer, an undisclosed Taiwanese company, canceled an investment that exceeded $6 billion, or around 8 trillion won.

He did get capital from investors in China and Taiwan to produce trial chip products based on Samsung's technology, however.

The indictment comes as tension is ratcheting up between the U.S. and China over semiconductors.

The suspect has more than 25 years of experience working in the semiconductor field and founded two Chinese and Singaporean facilities producing chips and employed more than 200 qualified semiconductor employees from Samsung and SK Hynix working at South Korea's headquarters. Prosecutors say that data stolen from Samsung would cost at least $233 million, or 300 billion won.

It's not just a leak of semiconductor technology, prosecutors say-the company tried to replicate an entire semiconductor factory. "This is a serious crime that can cause a heavy blow to the foundation of the domestic semiconductor industry at a time when chip production is cut-throat," the prosecutor's office said.

Prosecutors indicted six other people who are reportedly ex-Samsung official's accomplices. Samsung refused to comment on it.

The defendant is said to be a 65-year-old man who had previously worked at SK Hynix, a Korean chipmaker. According to reports, he was detained on charges of infringement against industrial technology protection laws and the stealing of trade secrets in 2018 and 2019 by allegedly copying Samsung's semiconductor plant about 1.5 kilometers from a Samsung chip factory in Xi'an, China.

The ex-Samsung executive tried to build the copycat chip plant by attempting to put together a fabrication line and staff it with engineers, prosecutors said. However, the deal allegedly went sour after his backer, an undisclosed Taiwanese company, canceled an investment that exceeded $6 billion, or around 8 trillion won.

He did get capital from investors in China and Taiwan to produce trial chip products based on Samsung's technology, however.

The indictment comes as tension is ratcheting up between the U.S. and China over semiconductors.

The suspect has more than 25 years of experience working in the semiconductor field and founded two Chinese and Singaporean facilities producing chips and employed more than 200 qualified semiconductor employees from Samsung and SK Hynix working at South Korea's headquarters. Prosecutors say that data stolen from Samsung would cost at least $233 million, or 300 billion won.

It's not just a leak of semiconductor technology, prosecutors say-the company tried to replicate an entire semiconductor factory. "This is a serious crime that can cause a heavy blow to the foundation of the domestic semiconductor industry at a time when chip production is cut-throat," the prosecutor's office said.

Prosecutors indicted six other people who are reportedly ex-Samsung official's accomplices. Samsung refused to comment on it.