Taihan Cable Employees Referred to Prosecutors for Trade Secret Theft

• •13 individuals and 3 corporations referred to prosecutors for trade secret theft.
• •Allegations involve improper acquisition of LS Cable's submarine cable plant designs.
• •Potential civil lawsuits could reach hundreds of billions of won if Taihan is found guilty.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has referred 13 individuals and three corporations to prosecutors for allegedly violating the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act. The accused include four employees from Taihan Cable & Solution, seven officials from Gawoon Comprehensive Architects, and two from an equipment company. The investigation revealed that Taihan Cable obtained confidential design materials from LS Cable & System during the construction of a submarine cable plant in Dangjin between 2022 and 2023. LS Cable claims that these designs are core trade secrets, while Taihan Cable argues the information lacks economic value. The case, which has been ongoing since 2023, is expected to escalate into civil lawsuits potentially worth hundreds of billions of won. The police's findings indicate a serious breach of confidentiality agreements by Gawoon Architects. The legal battle between the two leading cable manufacturers in South Korea is anticipated to intensify as the case moves to prosecution.