(123rf)

South Korean military demolished more than 1,300 closed-circuit TV cameras that were installed in frontline barracks, after an inspection revealed that they were Chinese-made, and not domestic devices as previously thought.

According to military authorities on Friday, a joint inspection with intelligence agencies in late July over the equipment delivered to the military confirmed that the cameras were made in China and had security issues.

The cameras were revealed to be designed to send the captured images and videos through a specific server connected to China. The military official confirmed that no information was leaked.

In response, the military removed all the cameras in question and is in the process of replacing them with domestic ones. Currently, about 100 new domestic cameras have been installed.

The cameras that were removed were not intended for surveillance operations along the demilitarized zone, but for monitoring training grounds and unit fences, the official explained.

The vendor allegedly deceived the military to make them think that the cameras were domestic. The military plans to file a claim against the vendor.