South Korea's defense ministry said on Friday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been sending disruptive signals to jam global positioning system (GPS) in the country.
Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told a regular press briefing that the DPRK's jamming operations are expected to continue for the time being as Pyongyang seemed to aim to raise tensions on the Korean peninsula by showing off its capability of disrupting GPS signals in South Korea.
The DPRK began late Thursday to send the GPS-disrupting signals to South Korea from several regions north of the military demarcation line (MDL) dividing the two Koreas, including the western port city of Haeju and Mount Kumgang in the east coast.
Moon said there has been no damage reported in South Korea from the DPRK's jamming operations, but he noted that if any damage happens from South Korean ships and airplanes, Seoul will make Pyongyang "pay a due price".
Jamming signals could cause malfunction of mobile phones and disruption of GPS in planes and vessels, which depend on the positioning system for navigation.
Pyongyang reportedly has GPS-disrupting devices. The country has allegedly tested its devices from a month ago before launching an attack this week.
The spokesman said the DPRK's jamming devices could reach more than 100 km and affect Seoul and its suburban areas.
He noted that the South Korean military has equipment capable of detecting the jamming operations.
Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee told a press briefing that jamming the GPS signals in South Korea itself was an act of provocation, urging Pyongyang to "immediately stop such provocations that will not provide any help to improve inter-Korean relations."
