South Korean police investigate body cam procurement fraud allegations

South Korean police have launched an investigation into allegations that body cameras distributed to officers nationwide may be Chinese-made, despite official procurement rules explicitly excluding Chinese products due to national security concerns.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency is investigating a supplier, referred to as Company A, on charges including fraud and obstruction of official duties. The supplier was part of a KT Consortium that won a 19.5 billion won contract to provide 14,000 body cameras last year. While the consortium claimed the devices were produced via OEM in Taiwan, whistleblowers and competitors alleged that the hardware's appearance and functions are nearly identical to specific Chinese models.

Police have conducted searches and seizures and are currently requesting professional forensic appraisals to determine if the equipment is indeed Chinese. The investigation, handled by the security investigation division, is also exploring the possibility that sensitive footage of police operations and suppressions could have been leaked to foreign entities.