K-pop stars and Huawei help South Korea win global 5G race, as Chinese trade trumps US fears

• Seoul got the jump over US carrier’s Verizon’s 5G introduction by providing early services to celebrity customers
• Unlike other US allies, South Korea has not restricted Huawei from taking part in its next-generation networks, with the nation’s heavy dependence on China trade keeping it from caving to US pressures, say observers