GPS News
GPS NEWS
N. Korea jams GPS signals, affecting ships, aircraft in South
N. Korea jams GPS signals, affecting ships, aircraft in South
By Claire LEE
Seoul (AFP) Nov 9, 2024

North Korea staged GPS jamming attacks on Friday and Saturday, an operation that was affecting several ships and dozens of civilian aircraft in South Korea, Seoul's military said.

The jamming allegations come about a week after the North test-fired what it said was its most advanced and powerful solid-fuel ICBM missile, its first such launch since being accused of sending soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine.

The South fired its own ballistic missile into the sea on Friday in a show of force aimed at demonstrating its resolve to respond to "any North Korean provocations".

"North Korea conducted GPS jamming provocations in Haeju and Kaesong yesterday and today," Seoul's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement Saturday, adding several vessels and dozens of civilian aircraft were experiencing "some operational disruptions".

The military warned ships and aircraft operating in the Yellow Sea to beware of such attacks.

"We strongly urge North Korea to immediately cease its GPS provocations and warn that it will be held responsible for any subsequent issues arising from this," they said in the statement.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles in violation of UN sanctions.

It also has been bombarding the South with trash-carrying balloons since May, in what it says is retaliation for anti-Pyongyang propaganda missives sent North by activists.

The South Korean military said Pyongyang also attempted to jam GPS signals in May, but added at the time that it did not hinder any military operations in the South.

In Friday's drill, South Korea fired a Hyunmoo surface-to-surface short-range missile into the West Sea, which the military said was to show Seoul's "strong resolve to firmly respond" to any North Korean threats.

The Hyunmoo missiles are key to the country's so-called 'Kill Chain' preemptive strike system, which allows Seoul to launch an attack if there are signs of an imminent North Korean attack.

- 'Real risk' -

Experts say such jamming attacks can lead to other incidents that could escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.

"It remains unclear whether there is an intention to divert the world's attention from troop deployments, instil psychological insecurity among residents in the South, or respond to Friday's drills," Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.

"However, GPS jamming attacks pose a real risk of serious incidents, including potential aircraft accidents in the worst-case scenario."

Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP the North's jamming could be "to shield their own communications and intelligence exchanges during critical military operations" both at home and abroad.

North Korea has become one of the most vocal and important backers of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Seoul and the West have long accused Pyongyang of supplying artillery shells and missiles to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

The latest accusations, based on intelligence reports, indicate the North has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia, suggesting even deeper involvement in the conflict and triggering outcry in Seoul, Kyiv and Western capitals.

Seoul, a security ally of Washington, said last month the presence of North Korean troops in Europe would be a major escalation.

South Korea, a major arms exporter, has a long-standing policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict.

But President Yoon Suk Yeol said this week that Seoul is now not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons directly to Ukraine, given Pyongyang's military support of Moscow.

On Friday, Seoul's presidential office said cyber attacks by pro-Russian hacking groups against South Korea have increased following North Korea's troop dispatch for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Related Links
GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
GPS NEWS
BeiDou remote sensing experiment enhances ecological monitoring in Yellow River
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 04, 2024
A large-scale integrated space-air-ground experiment, as part of the "BeiDou-enabled Remote Sensing Application Pilot Program," was conducted between July 20 and August 15 at the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve. This initiative aimed to improve ecological monitoring and develop more precise ecological assessments in the region. The experiment incorporated a wide range of data collection techniques, employing payloads on aerial manned aircraft, high-resolution remote sensing satellites, ... read more

GPS NEWS
Economic woes sour prospects for China's dairy farmers

White truffles, Italy's gold, menaced by climate change

More than 33 million Nigerians face hunger next year: report

Scientists harvest nutrient-rich rice grown in space

GPS NEWS
China's top chipmaker reports surge in profits

Nvidia surpasses Apple as world's biggest company

Nvidia asks S Korea SK hynix to pull forward chip deliveries

NRL Develops Innovative Method for Quantum Emitter Control

GPS NEWS
NASA funds new studies looking at future of sustainable aircraft

Five things to watch at China's largest airshow

X-59 engine tests begin, Lockheed Martin nears final ground trial

Airlines around Asia ground Bali flights after volcano erupts

GPS NEWS
China expanding advanced EV charging stations to meet growing demand

Bentley pushes back target of all-electric luxury cars to 2035

BMW's profits plunge as China sales slump

Paris banishes through-traffic from city centre

GPS NEWS
New push for EU-South America trade deal despite French fury

Asian markets extend losses as Trump fears build

China's Xi heads to Peru for APEC meeting shrouded in Trump fears

Fears of Trump trade wars cast pall over Asia-Pacific summit

GPS NEWS
How forest density affects tree movement and resilience

Drowning mangroves in Maldives signal global coastal risk

Brazilian Indigenous leader warns world on Amazon's fate

Amazon sees lowest deforestation in 9 years; Brazil must act on UK journalist's murder

GPS NEWS
China launches new set of remote-sensing satellites

Microplastics influence cloud formation, potentially shaping weather and climate

UChicago scientist crafts new model to enhance forecasting of atmospheric rivers

Satellite imagery offers a way to shield coastal forests from climate impacts

GPS NEWS
New Technique Enables Mass Production of Metal Nanowires

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.