Hyundai Heavy fined 246 million won for misusing subcontractor's lighting, engine design

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Co. has been fined another 246 million won for sharing Samyoung Machinery's lighting equipment design and five engine parts with another subcontractor without permission.

The purpose was to allow the other contractor to create the same equipment to lower the prices of the parts.

The shipbuilder delivered the design of five ship engine parts provided by Samyoung Machinery to another company from June 2016 to May 2018, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC).

Meanwhile, Samyoung Machinery's lighting equipment design was delivered from April 2017 to April 2018.

HHI was initially fined 970 million won last July for forcibly seizing technology data from its component supplier, Samyoung Machinery, and cutting off transactions after passing the data to a competitor.

The penalties are the largest ever slapped by the FTC for appropriation and misuse of technology data.

HHI along, with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho, are shipbuilding companies under HHI Group.

Last week, HHI Group signed a 240 billion won contract for three ships for shipping companies in African and Europe.