Hyundai technicians arraigned over leaking secret technologies to Chinese automaker

JAC Refine

Shanghai. December 18 (Gasgoo.com); Two Hyundai employees were arraigned by local police on charges of selling secret auto design data to Chinese automaker Jianghuai Automobile Corporation, Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported last Friday.

Korean persecutors said the Hyundai technicians at issue have sold 270 Sonata transmission design papers and 3000 car exterior and auto parts designs to China's Jianghuai Auto for USD$1.2 million, according to the report.

A Swiss company hired by Jianghuai to manufacture these parts found that Jianghai's car designs are identical to Hyundai's and reported these findings to Hyundai Motors, the report said.

In response to this scandal, Jianghuai Automobile Corporation, or JAC for short, said they've no knowledge of Hyundai Motors' leaking case.

Jianghuai had been in cooperation with Hyundai Motors for years in production of commercial vehicles. For example, Jianghuai MPV Refine was developed from Hyundai's MPV H1. The cooperation finally came to an end when Hyundai decided to form a joint venture project with Guangzhou Auto.

Prior to this case, five former and active employees of Kia Motors were indicted in May for selling auto technologies to China. Persecutors said they delivered 57 corporate secrets to a local consulting firm established by some of Kia's former workers since late last year. In Kia's leaking case, Data on welding, assembly and quality control were leaked to two unnamed Chinese automakers.