Former GM Daewoo employees arrested for technology leak to Russian firm

SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Yonhap) -- Two former employees of GM Daewoo, the South Korean
unit of General Motors Corp., were arrested on suspicion of leaking the
automaker's core technology to a Russian firm, prosecutors said Thursday.
One suspect, identified only by his surname Hwang, quit GM Daewoo in 2006 and was
immediately hired by the South Korean branch of Russian automaker TaGaz where he
was put in charge of developing a new model, according to the prosecution.
He allegedly recruited a former colleague, known only by his last name Jeong, to
TaGaz in 2008. Jeong is believed to have copied over 6,000 files from his
personal computer containing information on engine and parts designs and other
key technologies in manufacturing GM Daewoo's "Lacetti," investigators said.
TaGaz is believed to have used the obtained information in developing a
1,400cc-1,600cc semi-sedan model released in Russia this summer, they said.
The South Korean model, known as GM's Chevrolet Lacetti, is still being sold in
eastern Europe and India. An upgraded version, Lacetti Premier, is sold in South
Korea.
"We don't know if the technology has been transferred to another party. There is
no way of knowing the extent of the damage," a GM Daewoo official said.
brk@yna.co.kr
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