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US Ambassador to South Korean Harry Harris gives a keynote address at the “Future of the Cloud” hosted by the US Embassy Seoul and the Korea Internet Corporations Association at Facebook Korea on June 5. (Yonhap News)

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris urged South Korean companies that are working with Huawei to choose a supplier that they can trust. US pressure on the South Korean government and South Korean companies is gradually rising.

While attending a conference called “Future of the Cloud” that was hosted by the US Embassy Seoul and the Korea Internet Corporations Association at Facebook Korea in Seoul’s Gangnam District on June 5, Harris said that cybersecurity on the 5G communications network is a key element for protecting communication with US allies. Today’s decisions about 5G security, Harris said, will impact national security for decades to come.

Echoing the words of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Harris said that the world wants trustworthy systems. While acknowledging that cutting costs in the short term could sound tempting, Harris emphasized that selecting an unreliable supplier would inevitably have massive risks and costs down the road. Harris was referring obliquely to claims that Huawei has backdoor access to communication networks. Harris added that choosing a reliable supplier was the only way to achieve efficiency in both security and cost.

Harris’s remarks were directly aimed at LG U+, which uses Huawei equipment on its radio frequency transponders. More generally, though, the remarks could apply to all IT companies that have Huawei networking equipment in their 5G data centers. The South Korean industry, which finds itself in an awkward position, has been distancing itself from Huawei.

“There are no concerns about security, since we haven’t installed any Huawei equipment in areas where US troops are stationed,” said a spokesperson for LG U+.

“It’s up to the telecoms to decide which company’s equipment to buy,” said an official at South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, reconfirming the government’s basic stance on the matter.

By Shin Da-eun, staff reporter

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