MCAD Maritime Cyber Attack Database
Year2024 |
MonthMay |
Reference number20240528 |
Impact areaVessel |
Incident locationYellow Sea |
Incident countrySouth Korea |
Victim countrySouth Korea |
Victim identityVessels transiting the Yellow Sea |
Victim TypeVessel |
MethodGPS Jamming |
Attacker countryNorth Korea |
North Korea conducted sustained GPS jamming and spoofing operations against maritime traffic in the Yellow Sea, affecting approximately 60 documented merchant vessels over a week-long period in May-June 2024, with additional attacks in November 2024. Ships' AIS systems displayed false positions near or within North Korean territorial waters, creating navigation hazards for vessels approaching South Korean ports. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff officially attributed the attacks to North Korean military installations in Haeju and Kaesong, filed complaints with three international agencies (ITU, ICAO, IMO), and warned of "serious incident" risks including vessel intrusions into hostile waters.
