Rising Tensions: North Korea’s Balloon and GPS Spoofing Threats in South Korean Airspace

North Korea’s recent trash balloon campaign, missile launches, and GPS 'spoofing' have escalated risks in South Korea’s airspace. This has complicated airline operations and heightened tensions between the rival nations. South Korea has leveraged military and air traffic control measures to monitor and respond to these threats.

North Korea's trash balloon campaign, missile launches and the emergence of GPS 'spoofing' have increased risks in South Korean airspace, aviation experts say, complicating airline operations as tensions rise between the rival nations.

In late May, North Korea began floating thousands of balloons with bags of trash, including human excrement, suspended under them into South Korea, in what analysts say is a form of psychological warfare. Hundreds of balloons landed in the South, including one on a runway at Incheon airport, forcing a three-hour suspension of takeoffs and landings at its biggest international gateway.

When the balloons first appeared, aviation navigation interference from North Korea also spiked. This includes the first bout of 'spoofing' affecting commercial aircraft in the South. OPSGROUP warned that airspace safety is 'gradually deteriorating'. South Korea's transport ministry maintains a 24-hour surveillance system in response to the threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)