SEOUL: South Korea’s defence ministry said yesterday it has ordered its staff to install a smartphone application that restricts key functions like the camera in an attempt to prevent military leaks.
The ministry said from yesterday its 1,500 staff are no longer allowed to bring smartphones into their offices without installing the app called ‘Mobile Management Device’.
The order caused a long queue at the gates of the ministry yesterday because some 20 per cent of the staff had failed to install the app, officials said. The ministry declined to confirm a report by Yonhap news agency that some staff had refused to install the app due to concerns about privacy.
Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters that the app, which restricts the use of cameras and audio recording, prevents leaks from smartphones and stops outsiders from hacking into the devices of Defence Ministry officials. — AFP