What's happened
Tensions between North and South Korea have intensified as North Korea engages in GPS jamming operations, disrupting civilian aircraft and vessels. This follows North Korea's recent missile tests and psychological warfare tactics, including propaganda balloon launches. South Korea has issued warnings and conducted its own military exercises in response.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, North Korea's GPS jamming operations have disrupted civilian aircraft and vessels, prompting South Korea's military to issue warnings. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, 'We urge North Korea to stop GPS interference provocations immediately.' Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post highlighted that these jamming activities follow North Korea's recent missile tests, indicating a pattern of escalating military provocations. The report also noted that South Korea conducted its own missile launch as a show of force, emphasizing its resolve to respond to North Korean actions. Bloomberg corroborated these disruptions, stating that several South Korean boats and commercial airplanes experienced operational issues due to North Korea's actions.
How we got here
The current tensions stem from North Korea's ongoing missile development and military provocations, including recent ballistic missile tests. Additionally, North Korea's support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict has heightened concerns in South Korea and the West.
More on these topics
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea.
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Kim Jong-un is a North Korean politician who has been the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012.