Amid suspected leak, NDC head says ex-TSMC exec lacked access to core tech

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) The former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) executive suspected of leaking technical secrets did not have access to the company's core technology, National Development Council (NDC) head Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯) said Thursday.

Yeh, who also serves on TSMC's board, made the remarks after local media reported that Lo Wei-jen (羅唯仁) allegedly took confidential information on TSMC's 2-nanometer, A16 and A14 processes before retiring in July and then joining Intel in October.

According to Yeh, TSMC typically reassigns employees one to two years before retirement to other divisions to prevent access to trade secrets. He added that Lo would not have had access to the company's core technology because he had been reassigned more than a year ago.

Regarding concerns over potential leaks, Yeh said confidence in TSMC remains strong and the company will not be affected by a single individual.

Speaking to reporters before the Legislative Yuan hearing on Thursday morning, Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said that, as semiconductors are a core technology for Taiwan's industrial development, they are now treated as matters of national security.

Even though trade secret violations normally require a company complaint to prosecute, those involving national security are subject to public prosecution, Kung said, noting that this is why the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office has launched an investigation into the case.

Regarding the impact on the industry, Kung said Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem is solid and well-established. Whether it could be disrupted because someone took certain information remains to be seen, but for now, it does not appear the ecosystem would be easily affected.