South Korean Maritime and Telecommunications Sector (Fishing Vessels & Cell Networks)

In March 2016, North Korea executed a GPS jamming attack targeting vessels in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, originating from five regions: Haeju, Yonan, Pyongyang, Kumgang, and Kaesong. The attack disrupted navigation systems of nearly 700 fishing vessels, endangering maritime safety and operations. Additionally, the jamming interfered with cell phone base stations, disrupting telecommunications infrastructure. This was the fourth such campaign since 2010, part of North Korea’s broader strategy of electronic warfare and provocation amid escalating tensions over nuclear and missile tests. South Korea issued a formal warning on April 1, threatening retaliatory action if the attacks persisted. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in critical navigation and communication systems, with potential cascading effects on regional security and economic stability. While no direct casualties were reported, the attack posed risks to maritime trade, emergency response coordination, and civilian infrastructure, reinforcing concerns over North Korea’s cyber and electronic warfare capabilities.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-southkorea-gps-idUSKCN0X81SN

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/sk-telecom

"id": "sk-422092125",
"linkid": "sk-telecom",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2010",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "8",
"explanation": "Attack that could bring to a war"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Fishing',
                        'location': 'Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Korea',
                        'name': 'South Korean fishing vessels',
                        'size': '~700 vessels',
                        'type': 'Maritime'},
                       {'industry': 'Telecommunications',
                        'location': 'Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Korea',
                        'name': 'South Korean cell phone base stations',
                        'type': 'Telecommunications'}],
 'attack_vector': ['Radio frequency jamming', 'Electromagnetic interference'],
 'date_detected': '2016-03',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2016-03',
 'description': 'In March 2016, vessels were hit by a GPS jamming attack in '
                'the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South '
                'Korea. The electronic jamming signals originated from five '
                'North Korean regions: Haeju, Yonan, Pyongyang, Kumgang, and '
                'Kaesong. The campaign, attributed to the regime of Kim '
                'Jong-un, was intended as a provocation. Nearly 700 fishing '
                'vessels were affected, along with cell phone base stations. '
                'This marked the fourth round of GPS jamming by North Korea '
                'since 2010. On April 1, South Korea issued a warning to North '
                'Korea to cease the attacks and threatened retaliatory action '
                'if the jamming continued, amid escalating tensions over North '
                'Korea’s nuclear and rocket tests.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': ['Disruption of vessel navigation',
                                   'Communication interference'],
            'systems_affected': ['GPS navigation systems',
                                 'Cell phone base stations']},
 'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': ['Radio frequency jamming from North '
                                           'Korean regions (Haeju, Yonan, '
                                           'Pyongyang, Kumgang, Kaesong)'],
                           'high_value_targets': ['GPS-dependent navigation '
                                                  'systems',
                                                  'Telecommunications '
                                                  'infrastructure']},
 'motivation': ['Provocation', 'Geopolitical tension', 'Military signaling'],
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Geopolitical tensions',
                                            'North Korean electronic warfare '
                                            'capabilities']},
 'references': [{'source': 'General cybersecurity and geopolitical reports '
                           '(2016)'}],
 'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public warning issued by South Korea '
                                         '(2016-04-01)']},
 'stakeholder_advisories': ['South Korean government warning to North Korea '
                            '(2016-04-01)'],
 'threat_actor': 'North Korean regime (attributed to Kim Jong-un)',
 'title': 'GPS Jamming Attack on Vessels in the Korean Demilitarized Zone '
          '(2016)',
 'type': ['GPS jamming', 'Electronic warfare', 'Signal disruption']}