Haeju: North Korea has launched a GPS jamming operation that has caused significant disruptions to several ships and dozens of civilian aircraft in South Korea, according to the South Korean military. On November 8-9, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) issued a warning to vessels and aircraft operating in the West Sea (Yellow Sea), advising caution due to the interference from North Korea's GPS signal jamming. The JCS confirmed that North Korea had carried out GPS jamming provocations in the areas around Haeju and Kaesong, which had resulted in “some operational disruptions” for various ships and civilian aircraft.

GPS, which relies on satellite networks to provide global positioning and navigation, has been vulnerable to such interference. The JCS called on North Korea to immediately cease its jamming activities and warned that it would be held responsible for the consequences of its actions.

This latest GPS disruption follows a similar incident earlier this year, between May 29 and June 2, when an estimated 500 aircraft and hundreds of ships experienced GPS issues due to North Korean interference. South Korea’s government had lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which subsequently issued a warning to Pyongyang.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, this new GPS jamming incident involved weaker interference compared to the widespread disruptions in May and June. The JCS reported that South Korea's military operations and equipment had not been affected by the jamming.

The recent escalation of tensions between North and South Korea has been marked by various provocations, including North Korea’s missile tests, the destruction of infrastructure linking the two countries, the launching of waste-filled balloons over South Korea, and reports of North Korean troops being sent to fight for Russia in Ukraine. These actions have raised concerns about the growing risks to aviation safety in South Korean airspace, especially with the increase in GPS “spoofing” — a method of sending false signals that override legitimate GPS data.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, suggested that the motivations behind the jamming operation need to be carefully analyzed. “It’s unclear whether the purpose is to divert international attention from other developments, create psychological insecurity in South Korea, or respond to South Korea’s missile tests,” Yang said, referring to South Korea’s recent missile firing. “However, GPS jamming poses a real risk of serious incidents, including potentially catastrophic aircraft accidents.”

In response to rising tensions, South Korea fired a Hyunmoo surface-to-surface short-range missile into the West Sea on Friday, sending a clear message of Seoul’s “strong resolve to firmly respond” to any North Korean threats. The Hyunmoo missile is part of South Korea’s “Kill Chain” preemptive strike system, which would allow the country to launch an attack in response to any imminent signs of a North Korean offensive.