Dedicating ₩100 Trillion ($73.2 billion) to China…Even ROK Navy Submarine Routes could be Handed Over, Underwater Communications Cable Vulnerable to Chinese Interception

[TRANSLATION] 2024-5-20, Hankyung [TRANSLATION]

• Offshore wind power has become a playground for Chinese companies
• ₩100 trillion Korean offshore wind power… Dominated by Made in China
• China controls turbines and other key components… It even shakes up national security
• The government has selected 5 power generation companies including Shinan (신안) and Yeonggwang (영광) to Bid; the price is the most important… Collapse of the domestic wind power ecosystem

Artist rendition of undersea view showing topography and cables (above)

Chinese companies are taking over the domestic offshore wind power market, which is expected to grow to ₩100 trillion won by 2030.  This is because the government has allocated 60% of the selection criteria toward “electricity supply price,” so the bidders have decided to include Chinese turbines and submarine cables, which are 15~40% cheaper than domestic ones.  The industry is concerned that the government’s focus on curbing the increase in electricity prices will completely give away the promising industry to China.  It is also pointed out that due to the nature of the project, which requires the laying of cables under the sea, information on the domestic seabed topography and the operation of the ROK Navy may be leaked.

[Truncated]

This is because in order to lay a submarine cable under the sea, it is necessary to know the topography of the seabed. In order to prevent accidents, submarine cable companies are also provided with information on the ROK Navy’s training areas, submarine training schedules, and movement routes.

The possibility of intercepting communications is also discussed.  This is because submarine cables contain not only electrical power, but also communication networks.

[Truncated]

Source: “100조 中에 헌납할 판”…해군 잠수함 루트까지 넘어간다 (Dedicating ₩100 Trillion ($73.2 billion) to China…Even ROK Navy Submarine Routes could be Handed Over), https://www.hankyung.com/article/2024051980641

Note:  In addition to the above concerns, adding large amounts of Chinese designed and built equipment to the wind power infrastructure which connects to the South Korean power grid creates vulnerabilities.  China could cyberattack the wind power infrastructure equipment to create power spikes and brown outs that could damage and take down the South Korean power grid.