US tech firm files defamation suit against KBS over report on its technology
Case brings Korea's public broadcaster to US federal courtroom; company claims losses exceeding $1 bil.
KBS News reports on alleged fraud in technology development at SeeDevice, a U.S.-based quantum sensor developer, in a broadcast from Aug. 25, 2024. Captured from KBS News
U.S. tech firm SeeDevice has filed a defamation lawsuit against Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) and its U.S. affiliate, KBS America, accusing them of inaccurate reporting on its technology that cost the company a major commercial opportunity and wasted years of research.
The company said last week that a trial has been set at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to begin in January 2027.
The case stems from an August 2024 KBS report alleging the Korean government decided to retract its research grant after finding the company's technology to be fraudulent.
At the center of the dispute is QMOS, SeeDevice's proprietary sensor technology designed to simultaneously detect visible light as well as X-rays, ultraviolet and short-wave infrared wavelengths invisible to the human eye, without the specialized materials and processes that many conventional infrared sensors require.
In its reporting, KBS cited an insider who alleged that the technology, developed by Korean American Kim Hoon, founder and CEO of SeeDevice, lacked substance. It reported it had raised questions about the company's nano image sensor technology as early as 2007, prompting the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology to seek the recovery of more than 9.2 billion won ($6.05 million) in research funding in 2011.
However, SeeDevice said that a local court ruled to cancel the recovery of the research grant in 2012, finding no evidence of fraud relating to the technology or the performance of the research project.
“Despite these rulings, in August 2024, KBS and KBS America falsely reported that the grant had been taken back because Kim's technology was found to be fraudulent,” SeeDevice said in a written interview with The Korea Times, adding that the false report caused substantial harm to the company's business operations and reputation.
A promotional image for SeeDevice's QMOS™ technology / Captured from SeeDevice website
Through the upcoming litigation, SeeDevice is seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages for losses which it claims exceeded $1 billion. "It is not about a single lost contract but the overall value of the business opportunity which had been promoted based on the technology, and we see it at over $1 billion. The final amount of any recoverable damages will be determined through the trial process," it said.
When contacted by The Korea Times for comment, KBS said matters related to KBS America should be directed to the affiliate. KBS America had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. SeeDevice said both broadcasters argued the case should be dismissed, but the U.S. federal court rejected their arguments.
In May, the court ruled that claims against KBS America would be tried before a jury while claims against KBS would be heard by a judge, rejecting KBS' arguments that the plaintiffs should be denied a jury trial against its U.S. affiliate as “untenable,” according to SeeDevice.