[2026 National Assembly Audit] Army Holds Video Conferences Using Chinese-Made Communications Equipment

Rep. Yoo Yong-weon raises concerns during parliamentary audit of Army Headquarters

The Army has been using Chinese-made communications equipment to discuss military operations via videoconference, raising concerns about the significant risk of command-and-control information being leaked.

According to materials on the “Introduction and Operation of Chinese-Made Information and Communications Equipment” submitted by the Army to Yoo Yong-won, a People Power Party lawmaker on the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, the Army operates more than 130 videoconferencing codecs made by Chinese communications equipment company Yealink out of a total of more than 800 videoconferencing devices. This accounts for about 16% of the total.

Yonhap News Agency

Of the more than 130 Chinese-made videoconferencing devices, more than 60 are installed in corps- and division-level command-and-control rooms, operations rooms, and intelligence rooms. Videoconferencing devices transmit and receive video and audio, and concerns have been raised that military information could be leaked externally if security vulnerabilities arise. In 2024, the Oklahoma state government banned the use of products made by Yealink, a Chinese videoconferencing equipment manufacturer, citing security concerns.

The South Korean military also operates more than 1,770 Chinese-made CCTV cameras. The Army introduced about 510 Chinese-made CCTV cameras from 2022 through 2024, while the Navy operates about 160, the Air Force about 400, and the Marine Corps about 700.

The Army says Chinese-made communications equipment underwent security checks before being introduced, and that the checks found no significant vulnerabilities. In response, Yoo said, “Corps- and division-level operations rooms are facilities where sensitive information on military operations and command and control is exchanged, so this should not be taken lightly.” He added, “Even small security vulnerabilities can lead to the leakage of military information, so stricter security management is needed.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.