Tensions rise as North Korea disrupts GPS signals in South
In the first ten days of November, up to 331 GPS signal disruptions were recorded, primarily affecting airplanes and ships in South Korea. According to the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology in Seoul, the source of these disruptions was identified as the southwestern part of North Korea.
The ministry noted that it had "consistently detected radio interference originating from the Kaepung and Haeju areas of North Korea." Despite the numerous incidents, South Korean authorities stress that no significant threats to the navigational safety of airplanes and ships have been recorded.
Of the 331 registered cases, 279 involved aviation, while 52 were related to maritime navigation.
Pyongyang's tactics
The South Korean army also reported two consecutive days of jamming of the satellite navigation system. The Yonhap agency recalls that GPS signal disruptions from the northern direction have been recorded since the end of May.
This occurred shortly after North Korea sent balloons with waste southward for the first time this year.
The Pyongyang regime has previously used GPS signal jamming in past years. Currently, relations between the two Koreas are considered the worst in decades. At the end of last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that his country would no longer strive for reconciliation and reunification with the South, ordering preparations for a war that "could break out at any moment."
