North Korea continues GPS signal jamming for second day, affecting ships and civilian aircraft

[Anchor]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the DPRK has been disrupting GPS signals over the Yellow Sea for the second consecutive day.

This GPS jamming attack had been rare since June but resumed last month, affecting some vessels and aircraft traveling across the Yellow Sea.

Reporter Shin Ji-hye has the details.

[Report]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the DPRK has been disrupting the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in the Yellow Sea since yesterday (Nov. 8).

According to the Joint Chiefs, North Korea is transmitting jamming signals near Haeju and Kaesong, which are Noth Korean cities close to Incheon.

Some commercial flights have experienced disruptions, and reports of GPS equipment errors have been received from passenger ferries and fishing boats operating in the Incheon waters.

However, there have been no actual damages thanks to the use of alternative navigation methods.

Compared to the first half of this year, when the fishing operations of Yellow Sea fishermen were severely disrupted, the current intensity of the jamming signals is reported to be relatively low.

[Park Jong-min/President of Incheon Sorae Catch Association: "There are no issues with our operations, but sometimes our phones don't work. They don't connect, and calls get dropped. We didn't see this happen eve int he fall season, but it's the first time we've seen it this year."]

North Korea's transmissions signal jamming had paused for a while after early June this year but resumed last month.

GPS disruptions were also detected on the 5th of November, which, along with military provocations such as missile launches, is interpreted as a low-cost, low-intensity provocation aimed at building up fatigue on the South Korean side.

[Jung Han-beom/Vice President of the Korean Association of International Studies: "I think they are showing a nervous reaction to issues like North Korean leaflets and loudspeakers. It seems that causing internal conflict within our country is part of North Korea's strategy."]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff warned North Korea to immediately cease its GPS jamming provocations, stating that all it will be held accountable for its actions.

This is KBS News, Shin Ji-hye reporting.