North Korea jamming GPS signals raises regional tensions
North Korea conducted a series of GPS signal jamming attacks on Friday and Saturday in the southwestern part of the country over the Yellow Sea, affecting the navigation safety of ships and aeroplanes, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul reported.
"North Korea conducted GPS jamming provocations in Haeju and Kaesong yesterday and today (8-9 November)," the JCS chief stated. He added that the crews of several ships and dozens of civilian planes reported "some operational disruptions." The South Korean military warned pilots and ship captains in the border area of the potential danger.
"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," the statement read.
The Yonhap agency reminds us that from 29 May to 2 June, North Korea conducted similar GPS-disrupting attacks from the western part of the border line towards the south. This happened shortly after Pyongyang began sending balloons with waste to South Korean territory. Since the beginning of the past month, sporadic attempts to disrupt GPS signals have also been detected in the border area, although their intensity was lower than before.
The regime in Pyongyang has also conducted similar provocations on various scales in past years. Currently, relations between the two Koreas are assessed as the worst in decades. North Korea's constitution recognises South Korea as a "hostile state," and leader Kim Jong Un has ordered a "complete severance" from neighbours and preparations for a war that "can break out at anytime."
