While the use of Chinese drones has been either restricted or outright banned in various countries due to security issues, they continue to be employed by numerous South Korean governmental agencies and state institutions. This situation has drawn sharp criticism from several lawmakers, who are urging for more stringent regulations.
Ku Jakeun, a member of the South Korean National Assembly representing the ruling People Power Party (PPP), recently unveiled data from the Ministry of National Defense. The information showed that from 2017 to 2021, the Moon Jae-in administration procured approximately 60 Chinese-made drones. Although these are currently deployed for educational and anti-drone target practice by the military, no new purchases have been made since 2022.
To mitigate the risk of data leakage, the South Korean Army and Navy have restricted the use of Chinese drones by disabling their cameras. However, other branches, such as the Air Force and Marine Corps, continue to utilize drones manufactured by Chinese drone maker DJI for various purposes, including disaster relief and safety-control measures.
The use of Chinese drones is not confined to military applications. Mr. Ku’s data also reveal that state-owned energy firms such as Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea National Oil Corporation have a combined total of more than 100 DJI drones employed for inspecting key infrastructure, such as transmission towers and oil storage sites.
“Given the global concerns about the security vulnerabilities of Chinese drones, there needs to be a reconsideration for their use, especially in military and critical national industrial sectors,” said Mr. Ku.
During a parliamentary review in mid-October, PPP lawmaker Hong Seokjun revealed that out of 13 drones used by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., four were Chinese-made.
“From a national security standpoint, Korean nuclear facilities should steer clear of employing Chinese drones,” Mr. Hong stated.
Furthermore, data disclosed by PPP legislator Lee Yang-son show that six out of the seven drones operated by the Busan Port Authority (BPA) are of Chinese origin. These drones are primarily used for surveying and capturing port imagery, a critical aspect of port security. The BPA is the governing body of the country’s leading seaport.
Mr. Lee emphasized that the indiscriminate use of low-cost Chinese technology in sensitive areas like ports poses a significant risk. “There needs to be a more in-depth dialogue regarding the adoption of Chinese-manufactured equipment in domestic ports,” he said.
The agricultural sector is also increasingly reliant on Chinese drones. PPP legislator Ahn Byung-gil revealed that government financial support for drones in rural areas has led to a surge in the use of Chinese-made drones, peaking at 91.1 percent in 2020 and slightly reducing to 84.7 percent as of July this year.
“Considering the dwindling rural population and the labor shortages in agriculture, the dependency on Chinese drones raises additional questions about long-term national security and data privacy,” Mr. Ahn noted.
Promoting Domestic Innovation Amid Reliance on Chinese Technology
In an effort to boost domestic innovation in agricultural machinery, the South Korean government has allocated a budget of approximately 7 billion Korean won (about US$5 million) for research and development (R&D) to the Rural Development Administration this year. However, the rising tide of Chinese-manufactured drones is beginning to dominate the agricultural sector, sparking concerns over potential data leaks of South Korean land and agricultural information.Legislator Ahn Byung-gil emphasizes the need for the South Korean government to focus on nurturing domestic technological capabilities, particularly in the field of agricultural machinery.
Equally worrying is the reliance on Chinese technology in other critical sectors. Data released on Oct. 26 by Kim Yong-pan, a PPP legislator, show that of the 456 drones used by the Fire Department, 363 are manufactured by China’s DJI, accounting for an astonishing 80 percent. “Measures need to be implemented to safeguard data security when utilizing Chinese drones,” stated Mr. Kim.
The dependence on Chinese technology isn’t confined to drones alone. A wide range of equipment, from communication devices and CCTV cameras to port security facilities and meteorological equipment, are being imported from China in significant numbers.
The National Intelligence Service disclosed this July that malicious software was discovered in observational equipment provided by China to the Korean Meteorological Administration. During a mid-October parliamentary review of the Ministry of Science and ICT [Information and Communication Technology], PPP legislator Hong Seokjun raised concerns about the susceptibility to cyber-attacks, highlighting the country’s increasing reliance on Chinese-made communication devices and other equipment.
“In terms of communication equipment imports, about 42 percent were Chinese-made at the end of last year, and the figure has slightly increased to around 43 percent this year,” Mr. Hong noted. He advocates for the introduction of an information protection certification system, having already proposed an amendment to the “Information and Communication Network Act” earlier this year.
When questioned about the need for heightened security measures for Chinese-made equipment across all sectors, Park Yun-kyu, the second-ranking official in the Ministry of Science and ICT, agreed. He also disclosed that the South Korean government is implementing security checks in public sectors to regulate the use of potentially risky Chinese-made equipment.
Since March, the South Korean government has been probing into Chinese-manufactured port cranes, which the United States has flagged as potential espionage tools. Plans for subsequent countermeasures are being developed based on the investigation’s findings. Several South Korean port companies have already begun phasing out Chinese products in favor of Korean alternatives.
