Korean Huawei: "US Continuous Security Issue Claims Are Political Matters"

"No technical issues or local legal violations"
Focus on smart device sales this year
"Will support Korea's digital transformation"

Executives of Huawei Korea during the Q&A session at the 'Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2021 (HAS 2021)' press conference. From the left, Junho Lee, Chief Security Officer; Lu Won Son, CEO; Yeonha Lim, Vice President.

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Huawei Korea responded strongly to the United States' continuous raising of cybersecurity issues, calling it "merely a political issue." They stated that there have been no technical problems or violations of local laws.

Huawei Korea held a press conference for the 'Huawei Analyst Summit 2021' on the morning of the 13th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Son Lu-won, CEO of Huawei Korea, attended the event, and Carl Song, President of Huawei Global External Cooperation and Communications, participated via online video.

President Carl Song said, "The United States has led the technology sector for 200 years, so it seems they cannot accept other countries surpassing them." He also mentioned, "Former U.S. Secretary Pompeo once responded in an interview with a media outlet that the question about the grounds for Huawei sanctions was 'wrong in itself,' which means there is no evidence."

He added, "There have been no security issues or personal information leaks," and "We continue to conduct security tests through technical methods and have received the highest security certification, CC certification, since 2013."

Huawei Chief Security Officer Lee Jun-ho stated, "Huawei has about 200,000 employees, with 2,300 dedicated to security," and defended, "The backdoor issue is something that virtually every country wants; it is a misunderstanding that only China does."

They expressed confidence in their technology for 5G communication network equipment. Carl Song emphasized, "For 5G, we have strong solutions and products and have invested over the past 10 years," adding, "Our equipment is among the lightest, efficient, and does not have stringent installation requirements." Currently, Huawei equipment is being used in 5G networks in 16 cities worldwide.

Son Lu-won, who leads the strategy in Korea, also said, "The Korean New Deal policy will strengthen Korea's digital advantage globally," and "Huawei hopes to contribute to Korea's continuous digital transformation."

This year, Huawei Korea is focusing on the 1+8+N strategy, similar to its global strategy. Amid U.S. sanctions that have persisted for two years and a decline in global smartphone sales, they are compensating with sales of eight device types. They have also committed to expanding research and development (R&D) investment and job creation.

CEO Son Lu-won emphasized, "Wearables, tablets, and PCs launched in Korea have received much love from Korean consumers due to their excellent quality and outstanding user experience," and "We will supply good products combined with local demand."

This aligns with the global semiconductor chipset supply shortage. Huawei has also faced difficulties producing flagship smartphones that require a large number of chipsets. They explained that focusing on the device sector, which requires relatively fewer chipsets, is a natural step.

Regarding the impact of U.S. sanctions on Huawei on the supply chains involving Korean companies, they drew a clear line. Carl Song explained, "Since the sanctions began two years ago, we have actively utilized the BCM (Business Continuity Management) system to prepare for existing challenges such as COVID-19 and tsunamis." He added, "There is much interest in Huawei's chipset production, but Huawei's subsidiary HiSilicon does not have production capabilities," while assuring, "We have sufficient chipset inventory for B2B sectors such as telecommunications companies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.