SEOUL – South Korea’s military recently removed about 1,300 Chinese-made surveillance cameras installed at its bases, concerned about potential security risks, Yonhap news agency reported on Sept 13, citing an unnamed military official.

The cameras were designed to be connected to a specific server in China, but no actual data was leaked, Yonhap said.

These were supplied by a South Korean company, with their Chinese origin determined during equipment inspections earlier in 2024, the report cited the official as saying.

The cameras were not used for guard operations such as along the heavily fortified demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, but for monitoring training groups and perimeter fences at bases, the report said.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry said on Sept 13 it is in the process of collecting the foreign-made cameras and replacing them with others. The ministry declined to confirm where the cameras were made.

In 2023, Australia’s foreign minister said its defence and foreign ministries were removing surveillance cameras made by Chinese-run firms from their facilities after reports that the technology posed a security risk. REUTERS