KT said on May 19 it will participate in the "2026 post-quantum cryptography pilot transition support project" hosted by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) with the Ministry of Science and ICT to respond to security threats stemming from advances in quantum computing. KT said it will apply post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to major defense systems.

The project aims to address the limitations of existing public-key cryptography as quantum computing advances, and to apply and verify cryptography that is secure against future quantum attacks in national core infrastructure.

KT will carry out a post-quantum cryptography proof-of-concept project for the Ministry of National Defense and the Army Information and Communications School, and formed a consortium with Daesung S-Tech and ESE.

KT will apply post-quantum cryptography modules in major infrastructure segments in the project, including the smart unit platform (edge) to user PCs, CCTV to network video recorders (NVR), drones to ground control systems (GCS), and 5G routers to core networks. It will verify performance and applicability in an actual battlefield environment.

The smart unit platform is an environment that combines equipment from different manufacturers and a multi-layer network structure, making it an area where a post-quantum cryptography transition demonstration is essential. KT plans to apply and verify post-quantum cryptography across the entire life cycle of end-to-end defense data.

Based on verification results and operating experience accumulated through the project, KT plans to expand the use of post-quantum cryptography beyond defense into the public and private sectors. It also plans to continue developing a next-generation security service model that meets global security standards.

Myung-jun Jeon (전명준), executive director and head of KT's Enterprise Service Division, said post-quantum cryptography is "a core technology for national cyber security in preparation for the coming era of quantum computing." He said the pilot project in the defense sector would enhance the reliability of South Korea's communications and security technologies and that KT would take the lead in building a secure AX environment.