'Hit a semiconductor transport truck and it costs $12.8M' — unverified accident claim sparks warning: 'Watch out for Samsung vans more than Rolls-Royces'

An unverified claim that a traffic accident involving a semiconductor transport vehicle resulted in an insurance assessment of 19.4 billion won ($12.8 million) has gone viral online.

On Sunday, a post titled "Cars you really don't want to hit these days" appeared on the online community Bobaedream. Attached to the post was a screenshot of a messenger conversation stating that a company vehicle had collided with a semiconductor transport truck that day and that the insurance assessment had come in at 19.4 billion won.

The screenshot also carried a warning: "You should watch out for Samsung-branded one-ton vans more than Rolls-Royces," and urged drivers to be especially careful on the expressway between Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong, where Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factories are located.

Online commenters reacted with alarm. "Even if you sold your house, you couldn't cover that," one user wrote, while another asked whether even maximum third-party liability coverage would be enough. Others shared their own experiences, advising that vehicles marked "vibration-free" are worth giving a wide berth, as they often carry sensitive cargo such as semiconductor equipment or high-value artwork.

According to industry sources, vibration management is critical when transporting semiconductor materials such as wafers, photomasks and process equipment, making air-suspension vehicles standard practice in the industry.

One commenter who said they had 10 years of experience driving special-cargo trucks said that for loads valued at more than 10 billion won, transport typically takes place under special conditions — including police escorts and travel during off-peak hours when traffic is minimal.

The same commenter also cast doubt on the claim, saying that even when accidents occur, a full write-off of the entire load is rare, with only damaged items typically processed through insurance. "There are no cases where the driver or the vehicle at fault pays for everything," they said.

The accuracy of the 19.4 billion won figure has not been verified. Some users were skeptical as well, with comments noting that it is hard to draw conclusions from a single messenger screenshot and questioning whether a one-ton truck could realistically carry hundreds of billions of won worth of semiconductors.

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https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10762108