The Korea Herald

피터빈트

South Korea to strengthen monitoring against North Korean jamming

By KH디지털2

Published : July 29, 2016 - 13:45

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South Korea will beef up its system to counter North Korea's attempts in recent years to jam GPS signals in the South, the science ministry said Friday.

Under a set of comprehensive measures approved at a Cabinet meeting, the Seoul government will redouble efforts to develop technology that can deal with the North's attempts and upgrade the system, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said.

Following the North's attempts to disrupt South Korea's GPS signals across the border between 2010 and 2012, the Seoul government has set up the system to monitor the disruptions.

GPS disruptions could cause mobile phones to malfunction and affect planes and ships that rely on the satellite signal for navigation. No major damage has been reported so far.

"Details of the countermeasures cannot be disclosed. North Korea should not be aware of the level of our readiness," said a ministry official on the condition of anonymity.

The ministry said it will conduct drills regularly and actively develop the technology that can detect the jamming source.

Also, the Seoul government will closely work with international organizations, such as the United Nations, officials said.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn also vowed to take preemptive measures against Pyongyang's GPS disruptions.

"North Korea has been carrying out GPS disruptions since 2010. This is a provocation that cannot be tolerated," Hwang said. "As such attacks have an adverse impact on society and the economy, preemptive action is required."

Hwang added South Korea will establish a real-time monitoring system on the GPS disruptions, adding it aims to join forces with the international community to develop technologies to tackle such provocations in the future. (Yonhap)