3,000 Chinese-made CCTV Cameras in South Korea Raise National Security Concerns

Concerns have been raised about nearly 3,000 CCTV cameras in Seoul, which are of Chinese origin and potentially vulnerable to hacking. This has led city officials to call for their urgent replacement.

On Thursday, Seoul city council member Lee Min Seok from the ruling People Power Party, representing Mapo District, called for the swift replacement of Chinese CCTV cameras during an administrative audit of the Seoul Digital City Bureau held on Tuesday. He discovered that the city government and district offices had installed 3,658 Chinese CCTV cameras, and recent security breaches involving personal data have heightened concerns about these devices.

Lee highlighted that 1,222 Chinese-made cameras have exceeded their seven-year lifespan and require replacement. “Given that these security-vulnerable Chinese cameras are widely installed in key institutions, schools, hospitals, and daycare centers throughout Seoul, it is crucial to replace them promptly to ensure public safety and national security,” he emphasized.

Lee also pointed out that while the Digital City Bureau requested budget allocations for replacing outdated units, adding new ones, and implementing “smart” surveillance, only half of the request was included in next year’s budget proposal. Lee pledged to prioritize the budget to replace Chinese CCTV cameras during the committee’s budget review process.