According to a report by the Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean military has recently removed over 1,300 surveillance cameras from its bases after discovering they could potentially transmit data to China.
The cameras, supplied by a South Korean company, were found to have the capability to connect to Chinese servers, raising significant security concerns. This discovery was made in July during an examination of military equipment by Korean intelligence agencies.
While some of these cameras were located near the border with North Korea, they were not actively monitoring it. Instead, they were focused on training bases and perimeter fences.
A military official, speaking anonymously, assured that no actual data leakage had occurred despite the potential vulnerability.
“The CCTVs at issue were found to be designed to be able to transmit recorded footage externally by connecting to a specific Chinese server,” the official told Yonhap. “No data has actually been leaked.”
The military has already replaced about 100 of these cameras with verified locally-produced equipment. They are considering legal action against the supplier, who is suspected of falsifying documentation about the cameras’ origins.
This incident occurs amid a broader global context of heightened scrutiny over Chinese-made surveillance equipment. Many Western countries have implemented restrictions on such equipment due to concerns about security vulnerabilities and potential ties to the Chinese government.
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