Despite security warnings issued by the National Intelligence Service, Chinese-made CCTV cameras are reportedly still in use at national key facilities.

According to data obtained by lawmaker Chang Cheol-min of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee, the Korea Gas Corporation is operating around 240 Chinese-made CCTV units from a company that previously sparked controversy in 2021 for disguised deliveries as domestic products.

Among them, about 160 units have been deployed to unmanned supply control stations managed on par with national security facilities, and 16 units are still operating at the Incheon LNG terminal, a national key facility classified under the highest security grade of "Class A."

It was also revealed that approximately 260 units, or 30 percent of the total CCTV cameras at the Korea National Oil Corporation's stockpiling bases, are Chinese-made products illegally labeled as domestic.

Previously, the CEO of the manufacturer was sentenced to four years in prison for violating the Foreign Trade Act and committing fraud by disguising Chinese-made CCTVs as domestic products between 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, while the investigation into the company was underway, the National Intelligence Service demanded emergency security measures for the CCTVs, stating that "if connected to a network, they can automatically communicate with the Chinese manufacturer's cloud." The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy notified 10 public institutions, including the Korea Gas Corporation, of the matter.

However, institutions such as the Korea Gas Corporation and the Korea National Oil Corporation have left the devices unattended without taking proper measures.

Lawmaker Chang pointed out security loopholes in national key facilities and urged the immediate replacement of the problematic CCTVs and an overhaul of the security inspection systems by the competent ministries.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News