The South Korean police have decided to replace 667 Chinese-made surveillance cameras that are vulnerable to hacking threats, as concerns grow over the lack of management regarding the proliferation of these cameras proliferating in both public and private sectors. In the past three years, nearly 30,000 Chinese surveillance cameras disguised as domestic products have been installed across military and police facilities, 79 local governments, and public enterprises managing critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, and ports. With Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. removing Chinese cameras from government facilities, calls for the South Korean government to take proactive measures in managing surveillance camera installations are growing.
According to data from ruling People Power Party lawmaker Park Choong-kwon on Oct. 11, some 29,962 Chinese surveillance cameras disguised as domestic products have been confirmed installed in major public facilities, including schools, hospitals, and childcare centers over the past three years. The figure is based on specific models from the Chinese company Dahua, suggesting that the actual number of other imported or unverified domestic cameras could be even higher.
Responses from public institutions regarding the installation of these counterfeit cameras have been inconsistent, largely due to the absence of a central government directive. While some agencies have already replaced the cameras with domestic alternatives, others have said, “There’s no plan to replace them as there’s no risk of data leaks.” The government has mandated that, since March last year, all surveillance cameras installed in public institutions must have security certification from the Korea Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA). However, experts warn that even certified products are not completely secure from hacking.
Among the total 27.32 million surveillance cameras in South Korea, 93.5% (25.56 million) are privately installed devices that lack any security verification processes, leaving them unprotected against cyber threats.
The industry estimates that over 1 million Chinese surveillance cameras are imported annually, accounting for 40 to 50% of the total market. As concerns about data leaks linked to these cameras grow globally, the inadequate management of rising imports of Chinese products has drawn criticism, with surveillance cameras disguised as domestic products through a practice known as “tag switching” being supplied to key public facilities.
