Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Japan to stop buying Huawei, ZTE equipment
A man walks by a Huawei logo at a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, Dec. 6. Reuters
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Japan is set to ban government use of telecom products from Huawei and ZTE over national security concerns surrounding the Chinese companies.
Relevant government agencies will likely reach an agreement as early as Monday to ban the companies from taking part in government procurement, according to
.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the move was aimed at preventing cyberattacks and the leaking of confidential information.
“Ensuring the cyber security of government agencies has become increasingly important. We will deal with the matter from various perspectives,” he said.
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya also pledged efforts to ensure security.
The move comes days after Meng Wanzhou, 46, the chief financial officer and daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver, from where she may well be extradited to the United States. She is suspected of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The news has touched off a diplomatic firestorm between the two world's largest economies as well as their allies.
In recent months, governments in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand have banned the use of equipment from the Chinese companies in their 5G infrastructure rollout. Other countries, including Canada, are considering the same move.