By Jun Ji-hye
LG Chem has filed a pair of lawsuits with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and a U.S. court against SK Innovation for allegedly stealing its trade secrets, LG Chem said Tuesday.
The nation's leading battery and chemical company said the move is aimed at protecting its core technologies related to secondary batteries.
LG Chem asked the ITC to impose an embargo on importing battery cells and packs produced by SK Innovation, while filing a damage suit with the U.S. court in Delaware to force the energy and chemical affiliate of SK Group to provide compensation for piracy of trade secrets.
SK Battery America, SK Innovation's subsidiary responsible for the battery business, is located in Delaware.
LG Chem said its filed lawsuits as its own investigation showed that its core technologies related to secondary batteries have been leaked to SK Innovation since 2017 when the latter announced a plan to focus its efforts on batteries.
LG Chem said it has found concrete evidence through the investigation, noting that SK Innovation has poached 76 employees from almost all departments of LG Chem, including R&D, manufacturing and sales, since 2017.
Those recruited by SK Innovation included workers who participated in a next-generation electric vehicle project that is being jointly carried out between LG Chem and a car company.
SK Innovation is still working to poach additional employees from LG Chem, it said.
LG Chem accused SK Innovation of having attempted to steal confidential business information through employee poaching, citing SK Innovation asked employees to write about core technologies such as mass production technology and process technology in their job application letters.
Some even wrote names of their colleagues who worked on projects together in LG Chem.
LG Chem noted employees who moved to SK Innovation had downloaded 400 to 1,900 documents related to core technologies from the firm's system before changing jobs.
"The case is beyond an individual's freedom to change jobs," an official from LG Chem said. "SK Innovation committed an unlawful act as it recruited core personnel of LG Chem and stole trade secrets systematically."
LG Chem added SK Innovation is believed to have utilized leaked information to develop its secondary batteries, saying the latter has saved considerable time and costs required for developing the products.
LG Chem invested more than 1 trillion won ($859 million) in R&D last year, while SK Innovation invested 230 billion won, according to LG Chem.
Regarding the issue, an official from SK Innovation said the company has recruited employees in and outside the country through a transparent recruitment processes, and those who moved to the firm made the decision after considering improved treatment and potential for development.
"SK's battery unit will prove itself through legal proceedings," the official said.
The ITC is expected to begin its investigation in May and make a preliminary decision within the first half of next year. A final decision is expected to be made within the second half of next year, according to LG Chem.
LG Chem has filed a pair of lawsuits with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and a U.S. court against SK Innovation for allegedly stealing its trade secrets, LG Chem said Tuesday.
The nation's leading battery and chemical company said the move is aimed at protecting its core technologies related to secondary batteries.
LG Chem asked the ITC to impose an embargo on importing battery cells and packs produced by SK Innovation, while filing a damage suit with the U.S. court in Delaware to force the energy and chemical affiliate of SK Group to provide compensation for piracy of trade secrets.
 |
| LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-cheol |
LG Chem said its filed lawsuits as its own investigation showed that its core technologies related to secondary batteries have been leaked to SK Innovation since 2017 when the latter announced a plan to focus its efforts on batteries.
LG Chem said it has found concrete evidence through the investigation, noting that SK Innovation has poached 76 employees from almost all departments of LG Chem, including R&D, manufacturing and sales, since 2017.
Those recruited by SK Innovation included workers who participated in a next-generation electric vehicle project that is being jointly carried out between LG Chem and a car company.
SK Innovation is still working to poach additional employees from LG Chem, it said.
LG Chem accused SK Innovation of having attempted to steal confidential business information through employee poaching, citing SK Innovation asked employees to write about core technologies such as mass production technology and process technology in their job application letters.
Some even wrote names of their colleagues who worked on projects together in LG Chem.
 |
| SK Innovation CEO Kim Jun |
"The case is beyond an individual's freedom to change jobs," an official from LG Chem said. "SK Innovation committed an unlawful act as it recruited core personnel of LG Chem and stole trade secrets systematically."
LG Chem added SK Innovation is believed to have utilized leaked information to develop its secondary batteries, saying the latter has saved considerable time and costs required for developing the products.
LG Chem invested more than 1 trillion won ($859 million) in R&D last year, while SK Innovation invested 230 billion won, according to LG Chem.
Regarding the issue, an official from SK Innovation said the company has recruited employees in and outside the country through a transparent recruitment processes, and those who moved to the firm made the decision after considering improved treatment and potential for development.
"SK's battery unit will prove itself through legal proceedings," the official said.
The ITC is expected to begin its investigation in May and make a preliminary decision within the first half of next year. A final decision is expected to be made within the second half of next year, according to LG Chem.
![[INTERVIEW] Ecolab helps Korean partners profit from ESG management](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/7a924189dbb7426ab12275ba98702309.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[ANALYSIS] Has N. Korean leader's daughter been confirmed as heir apparent?](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/e65868a1b5834cc3aef853378637d1fd.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'Lifeline for migrant workers in Korea' - Rev. Kim fights for foreign employees' rights](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8fb4b5d381da49df90276394550f2889.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Korea to work with US, Japan to fight climate change](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/800d9054a14b4a0f9cc576366cc1b914.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[REVIEW] Preview gala sets stage for grand premiere of 'La Rose de Versailles' musical](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/c7528d2924cd43c8a469cd46e6f56127.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
