What’s New: Another round of GPS disruption by North Korea.
Why It’s Important: GPS spoofing causes receivers to have hazardously misleading information that can cause or contribute to accidents.
What Else to Know:
- South Korea continues to refine its GPS alternatives including its eLoran network. We don’t have any information as to whether ships and fishing boats in the area have been equipped with receivers. Incorporation into aircraft, if it happens, will likely require international standardization and be a long process.
- North Korea cooperates with Russia in many areas. There has previously been some indication that they beta-test new Russian jammers and spoofers on South Korea.
- Depictions of these disruptions on SKAI’s site and GPSjam.org make it seem like this interference is not as severe as we see in the Baltic and elsewhere. That could be due to the limited geographic area impacted.
North Korean GPS manipulation disrupted dozens of planes and vessels, South Korea says
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said North Korea disrupted GPS signals from border areas for the second-straight day on Saturday, affecting an unspecified number of flights and vessel operations.
Tensions between the rival Koreas have escalated as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un flaunts his advancing nuclear and missile program and engages in electronic and psychological warfare, such as flying thousands of balloons to drop trash and anti-South Korean propaganda leaflets in the South.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korean operations to manipulate GPS signals were detected from around the western border city of Kaesong and the nearby city of Haeju on Friday and Saturday, and said the activities disrupted dozens of civilian aircraft and several vessels.
