Chinese-Made Video Systems Deployed in Korean Army Command Centers, Raising Security Fears

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha holds a video conference with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Randy George, on April 1. (The Republic of Korea Army) One in every six video-conferencing units operated by the Republic of Korea Army is Chinese-made, raising concerns over potential leaks of military secrets. The concerns are particularly acute because the equipment is concentrated in corps- and division-level command centers, where sensitive information, including military operations and commanders’ orders, is exchanged. According to data submitted by the Army to Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, on Oct. 19, more than 130 of the Army’s approximately 800 video-conferencing units are products made by Yealink, a Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer. The devices account for about 16% of the total. More than 60 are installed at key facilities, including corps- and division-level command-and-control centers, operations centers and intelligence centers, where personnel share real-time operational information. Because video-conferencing equipment transmits audio and video in real time, security vulnerabilities could expose sensitive information. In 2024, the state of Oklahoma removed Yealink products from its government network over security concerns. Rep. Yoo warned that the deployment of equipment that has faced security concerns overseas at facilities handling sensitive military operational information should not be taken lightly. The Army has defended its use of the equipment, claiming that the devices are connected only by wired links through a dedicated military video teleconferencing network, or VTC network, that is isolated from the public internet. It also maintains that the equipment underwent a security assessment by the Defense Counterintelligence Command before procurement and that inspections by the Cyber Operations Command have not identified any particular vulnerabilities to date. The Army further says that multiple layers of protection, including encryption equipment and network access control (NAC), are in place. However, these assurances do not eliminate the broader concerns over the deployment of Chinese-made equipment at facilities where sensitive military information is handled. The issue of Chinese-made equipment in the military extends beyond video-conferencing systems. The armed forces operate more than 1,770 Chinese-made closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, according to the data. These include 510 cameras procured by the Army between 2022 and 2024, along with 160 operated by the Navy, 400 by the Air Force and 700 by the Marine Corps. The cameras are used for perimeter security and unit management. More recently, it was revealed that more than 190 Chinese-made connected cars equipped with cameras and communications functions had been registered for access to key military facilities, including the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy Submarine Command. Connected cars can transmit information collected through systems such as GPS and microphones to external servers, raising concerns that details about military facilities could be exposed. Military authorities have only recently begun drafting guidelines to regulate the entry of smart devices and connected cars into military installations, raising further questions about whether adequate safeguards were put in place in time.