Huawei snubbed in South Korea over spying concerns

According to US officials that spoke with The Wall Street Journal, South Korea has fallen in line with US requests that sensitive communications be routed to bypass Huawei network equipment. The reason, as with similar movements that have happened elsewhere, revolves around US concern about possible spying.

The anonymous US officials claim the United States has been quietly lobbying against the use of Huawei's equipment in South Korea, citing security concerns. Meetings are said to have taken place in recent months, with "senior US officials" expressing concerns about spying on communications, including those of military personnel and intelligence officers.

Ultimately, it is said, South Korea has chosen to alter its project to avoid passing government communications through Huawei's system, nor will the Chinese company's hardware be used with the US's military stations in the nation, something aimed at keeping American communications safe from possible prying eyes.

Reportedly, South Korea also held its own concerns about Huawei, which ultimately brought about the change. The State Department has stated through spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki that Korea solely made its decision, while South Korean entities declined commenting on the matter altogether.

Said Huawei's VP of External Affairs William Plummer: "Huawei cannot speak to any such seemingly political arrangements. However, from a technology and network-integrity perspective, Huawei can reaffirm that its gear is globally deployed, proven and trusted, connecting almost one-third of the world's population."

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal