Samsung poaches semiconductor expert from Apple

Samsung's Packaging Solution Center is part of the company's wider Device Solution America (DSA) operations in Silicon Valley. According to Business Korea, it has now added a specialized packaging solution division, led by ex-Apple Woo-pyeong. In this context, packaging refers to the materials used to to fabricate a processor that is ready to be fitted into a device's motherboard.

Business Korea reports that Samsung is focusing on what it calls enhanced packaging, in order to surmount unspecified physical limitations.

It's not known what specific role Kim Woo-pyeong had at Apple. Prior to joining Apple in 2014, though, Kim Woo-pyeong worked for both Texas Instruments and Qualcomm.

Apple and Samsung are both competitors and collaborators across multiple industries, yet it's not common for the two to recruit from each other. In 2018, Apple hired a Samsung executive to run its South Korea operations, though, and in 2019 it poached another one to lead its battery development team.

Samsung, in its turn, hired an Apple Store designer in 2013. In the same year, it hired one of the original developers of Siri.