Cheon Ha-ram, a lawmaker from the Reform Party, raised concerns about military security during a national audit of the Ministry of National Defense on October 7. He demonstrated the use of smart glasses to film Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol and revealed that he entered the ministry's premises in a vehicle from the Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD. He highlighted the lack of regulations to control the entry of devices capable of recording and transmitting information into military facilities.
During the audit, Cheon wore smart glasses and stated, "I am currently recording a video," making it clear that he was filming. He noted that while products made by Meta have an external recording indicator, some Chinese models can record without any visible sign.
Cheon pointed out, "We are inside the Ministry of National Defense, aren't we?" emphasizing that it is difficult to detect when video and audio are being captured with smart glasses. He also expressed concerns that when asking artificial intelligence (AI) about the equipment in front of him, related data could be transmitted to foreign servers.
He questioned whether he could use smart glasses as a member of the National Assembly and asked if there were measures to control the entry of such devices by officials, soldiers, and civilians. Minister Kang responded that such related aspects should be blocked and that procedures must be followed. However, Cheon noted that there are currently no regulations governing the entry of smart glasses, making it difficult to prevent their use if they are worn like regular glasses.
Cheon also presented a photo of the BYD vehicle he arrived in, stating, "No one stopped me from entering the Ministry of National Defense." He inquired whether there are regulations restricting the entry of Chinese electric vehicles onto military premises. Minister Kang acknowledged that there are currently no such regulations and stated, "We need to improve on these matters."
Cheon emphasized that the issue is not limited to Chinese electric vehicles, highlighting the security risks posed by 'connected cars' that can exchange various information over the internet. He mentioned that his vehicle is equipped with 12 cameras and has active cellular data, arguing that its recording and location tracking capabilities could serve as a potential leak for sensitive military information.
He warned that if the location records of officials' vehicles accumulate, it could reveal military movement patterns. Additionally, he pointed out that remote camera features in some vehicles could allow for surveillance of internal situations from outside the base.
Cheon stated, "If a vehicle is simply parked inside the base, it could lead to information being collected," suggesting that electric cars should be treated as 'smartphones on wheels.' He criticized the response to smart glasses and connected cars compared to the security controls applied to mobile phones. He urged that if security features can be implemented to control information collection, they should be applied; if not, such devices and vehicles should be excluded from sensitive areas.
He called for urgent action as the proliferation of smart glasses and Chinese electric vehicles increases, asserting that "military security is in a precarious situation in real-time."
Minister Kang acknowledged the associated risks and stated that both institutional and technological measures would be developed. He explained that they are considering ways to restrict the entry of devices capable of information collection and using AI to identify whether entrants possess such equipment.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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