Body cameras distributed by police to regional police substations and boxes nationwide using a budget of around 19 billion won.

While the supplier claimed the products were manufactured in Taiwan, it has been confirmed that a precision analysis by a public institution concluded they are practically identical to products from a Chinese manufacturer.

It is reported that the police even received a tip during the bidding process warning that the equipment could be Chinese-made, yet they still selected the company and failed to conduct a single on-site inspection of the Taiwanese factory as originally scheduled after signing the contract.

According to investigative authorities, the Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), affiliated with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, notified the Korean National Police Agency in June of the results of a detailed comparison between the body cameras supplied to the police and those from a Chinese manufacturer.

It is reported that the two products’ exteriors, components, and assembly methods were nearly identical, leading to the conclusion that they were manufactured by the same company.

Previously, the National Police Agency pursued a procurement project investing a total of 19.486 billion won through 2029 to introduce body cameras for frontline police officers as official equipment.

In July of last year, a consortium consisting of KT and device supplier Company A was selected as the final contractor, and around 14,000 units were distributed to the field in the second half of last year alone.

Company A reportedly explained that the body cameras were produced via OEM at a factory in Taiwan.

However, in June of last year, prior to the selection of the contractor, the police received a tip from a competitor stating, "There is a high possibility that Company A's body cameras are Chinese-made."

Nevertheless, the contract proceeded as planned.

Although an on-site inspection of the manufacturing plant in Taiwan was scheduled after the contract, it is reported that the inspection never took place due to failures in scheduling.

Police body cameras capture not only the activities of frontline officers but also sensitive information such as the faces and voices of citizens.

The Security Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has booked Company A on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means, and is conducting investigations including search and seizure.

Separately, the National Police Agency has commissioned a private expert firm to conduct a rigorous inspection to determine whether a so-called "backdoor" allowing unauthorized external access to the equipment is present and whether recorded footage could be leaked externally.

The Board of Audit and Inspection has also initiated an on-site audit regarding the police's body camera procurement project.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Design by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News