South Korea Confirms Discussing 5G Equipment's Safety With US Amid Huawei Row - Reports

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2019) A representative of the South Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that Seoul and Washington were discussing ways of guaranteeing the security of 5G networks after reports emerged suggesting that the United States was trying to make South Korea part of its anti-Huawei campaign, local media reported.

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported earlier in the day that Washington had repeatedly urged Seoul to stop buying equipment from the Chinese telecommunications giant and ban its use in the vicinity of US military bases in South Korea.

"The US side has underscored the importance of ensuring the security of fifth-generation equipment, and we are aware of such a stance ... South Korea and the United States have continued to discuss that issue," the official said on condition of anonymity, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

The official also noted that Seoul had its own position on the issue, suggesting that restricting Huawei might negatively affect bilateral economic relations with Beijing.

Last week, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order adding Huawei and its 70 affiliates to a trade blacklist, thereby restricting its activity in the country. From now on, US companies need permission from the government to trade with the telecom company. As a result, Google had to suspend business operations with Huawei, including the transfer of all hardware, software and technical services, except those publicly available via open source licensing.

Several countries have accused Huawei of being sponsored by the Chinese state and spying on its behalf through its devices. Last year, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States banned the company from participating in government contracts due to security concerns. Huawei has vehemently denied the accusations.