Navigation Affected After North Korea Launched GPS Jamming Attack

The GPS navigation of 337 commercial flights, 122 ships, and numerous vehicle owners from South Korea was disrupted during the week between April and May, 2012, after North Korea launched a jamming attack.

GPS World informs that this is not the first time when South Korea is the target of such attacks, the country’s officials revealing that countermeasures are being set in place. In March 2011, similar attacks lasted for 10 days, being launched strategically during the joint military drill performed with the United States.

A spokesperson of the South Korean Transport Ministry stated that flights were not in danger because airplanes had additional navigation devices that they could use.

In this particular case, the jamming signals were identified as coming from Kaesong, a location which is approximately 10 kilometers from the border and 50 kilometers from the Incheon International Airport in Seoul.

Reportedly, North Korea has developed jamming devices because the country fears GPS-guided missiles that may target key sites.