South Korea probes security threats tied to Chinese-made inverters

As concerns grow in the United States and other countries over the cybersecurity risks posed by Chinese-made solar inverters, the South Korean government has launched its own assessment of the domestic landscape.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said May 26 it convened a meeting on May 21 with leading local solar power companies—including Hanwha Q CELLS, Hyundai Energy Solutions, and Hyosung Heavy Industries—to examine the current status of solar inverters in South Korea. These inverters, which convert direct current (DC) generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) for residential and industrial use, are often described as the “brain” of solar power systems. However, their ability to operate remotely has sparked increasing concerns over potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

In the United States, suspicions intensified after a Chinese-made inverter was found to contain a communication device not disclosed in the product manual, raising fears that the Chinese government could exploit such hardware to interfere with power grids. Similar fears have emerged in Europe, particularly after a widespread blackout in Spain and Portugal in late April prompted speculation that a cyberattack targeting solar infrastructure may have been involved. On May 26, Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that if Chinese inverters permit remote access to European power systems, the continent’s grid could face severe disruptions in the event of a cyberattack.

Read more at The Chosun