TSMC Leak Case: 4 Engineers Sentenced, Tokyo Electron Fined 150M; First Case Under National Security Act

Former TSMC engineers Chen Li-ming, Wu Bing-jun, Ge Yi-ping, and Chen Wei-jie were accused of leaking critical technology. The court sentenced Chen Li-ming to 10 years in prison, Wu Bing-jun to 3 years, Ge Yi-ping to 2 years, and Chen Wei-jie to 6 years. This marks the first judgment involving the theft of national core key technologies after the amendment of the National Security Act. Additionally, Tokyo Electron's subsidiary, TEL Taiwan, was fined NT$150 million with a 3-year probation, including a payment of NT$100 million to TSMC. TEL stated that there was no organizational involvement and no secrets were leaked externally.

In economic news, Premier Cho Jung-tai addressed the impact of Middle East conflicts on raw material prices, ensuring that domestic supply remains stable through the fourth quarter. The Taiwan Stock Exchange hit a historic intraday high of over 40,000 points on the 27th, fueled by TSMC's record-high stock price of NT$2,330. In weather, the Central Weather Administration forecasts a front passing on April 29-30, bringing rain and cooler temperatures to Northern Taiwan before clearing up for the Labor Day holiday on May 1st.

International affairs included a security incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner involving a gunman targeting Donald Trump, and a report on cognitive warfare operations linked to Chinese marketing firms using lifestyle-themed Facebook pages to spread political narratives.