Quantum Security, Quantum Cryptography

IDEMIA and KT test quantum-safe SIMs for Korean defence

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October 26, 2026 by Ivy Delaney

IDEMIA Secure Transactions is collaborating with KT to implement both NIST-standardized and Korean post-quantum cryptographic algorithms on Quantum-Resistant SIM cards, a key component of South Korea’s 2026 Post-Quantum Cryptography Pilot Conversion Project. The initiative, organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency, aims to fortify defense communications against future cryptographic threats by using a smart-card platform capable of handling the increased processing demands of post-quantum algorithms. This implementation is designed to deliver the first deployment of KpqC 1 algorithms on a smart-card platform in Korea, demonstrating a path to add quantum-safe capabilities while minimizing device-level changes.

NIST & KpqC Algorithm Implementation on Quantum-Resistant SIMs

KT’s 2026 Post-Quantum Cryptography Pilot Conversion Project is actively testing a dual-track cryptographic approach, simultaneously implementing algorithms standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology alongside domestically developed Korean PQC algorithms on secure SIM cards. This strategy, a collaboration between KT and IDEMIA Secure Transactions, extends beyond simply future-proofing communications; it aims to demonstrate crypto-agility, the ability to smoothly adapt to evolving cryptographic standards without wholesale system redesigns, the company says.

The implementation addresses a key challenge of post-quantum cryptography: increased demands on processing power and memory. IDEMIA Secure Transactions is using dedicated SIM and eSIM technology to efficiently handle these computationally intensive algorithms within a tamper-resistant environment. This approach limits the need for extensive changes to existing device infrastructure, a critical consideration for large-scale deployments. The KpqC research group, established in 2021, developed these algorithms through a national competition to support Korea’s transition to quantum-safe security.

Beyond the smart-card platform, KT’s pilot project encompasses a broad range of critical defense environments, including smart-unit platforms, PCs, CCTV and video storage systems, drones, ground control systems and 5G networks. “At IDEMIA Secure Transactions, we see the transition to post-quantum security as a strategic imperative to safeguard digital trust for the long term,” said Fabien Jautard, EVP Connectivity Services at IDEMIA Secure Transactions.

“Our collaboration with KT demonstrates how post-quantum readiness can turn this challenge into a practical transformation enabling organizations to evolve securely. By combining trusted infrastructure with deep cryptographic expertise, we are laying the foundations for resilient, scalable security in the quantum era.” The project’s scope suggests a comprehensive effort to fortify national security infrastructure against the potential decryption capabilities of future quantum computers, and the simultaneous implementation of both international and Korean standards highlights a commitment to both interoperability and technological independence.

At IDEMIA Secure Transactions, we see the transition to post-quantum security as a strategic imperative to safeguard digital trust for the long term. Our collaboration with KT demonstrates how post-quantum readiness can turn this challenge into a practical transformation enabling organizations to evolve securely. By combining trusted infrastructure with deep cryptographic expertise, we are laying the foundations for resilient, scalable security in the quantum era.

KT’s 2026 Pilot Validates PQC Across South Korean Defense Systems

The Ministry of National Defense and the Army Information and Communication School are directly involved in this verification process, indicating high-level support for the conversion project. IDEMIA Secure Transactions is providing the hardware foundation for this testing through its Quantum-Resistant SIM, which functions as a hardware root of trust for secure communications within the KT pilot. This SIM generates and protects sensitive credentials and cryptographic operations, offering a dedicated cryptographic module for connected devices.

The project’s focus on secure elements, technologies already prevalent in telecom, demonstrates a pragmatic approach to quantum-safe security by using existing infrastructure rather than requiring entirely new hardware. These secure elements provide dedicated cryptographic modules for applications requiring high security and resilience, including government and critical infrastructure. This strategy minimizes disruption and accelerates the transition to post-quantum cryptography, a critical consideration given the accelerating development of quantum computing capabilities.

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Avatar of Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing. For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release.

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