North Korea Developing Electromagnetic Pulse Weapons 191
An anonymous reader writes "The Sydney Morning Herald reports, 'North Korea is using Russian technology to develop electromagnetic pulse weapons aimed at paralyzing military electronic equipment south of the border, according to South Korea's spy agency. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a report to parliament that the North had purchased Russian electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weaponry to develop its own versions. EMP weapons are used to damage electronic equipment. At higher energy levels, an EMP can cause more widespread damage including to aircraft structures and other objects. The spy agency also said the North's leader Kim Jong-Un sees cyber attacks as an all-purpose weapon along with nuclear weapons and missiles, according to legislators briefed by the NIS.'" Let's not forget that North Korea has also achieved nuclear fusion, developed a super drink that can cure aging and disease, and found a "unicorn lair" last year.
And let's not forget... (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's not forget that North Korea has also achieved nuclear fusion, developed a super drink that can cure aging and disease, and found a "unicorn lair" last year.
And let's not forget that the US has achieved democracy, developed a universal healthcare plan to cure aging and disease, and found WMDs in Iraq.
Our bullshit is more refined but equally pervasive.
Let's not forget... (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's also not forget that North Korea successfully launched a satellite [heavens-above.com] into a stable polar orbit (higher than the ISS). That first payload was a bit of a dud, but they have a proven ability to send a package over any part of the Earth's surface.
Re:No electronics in NK anymore (Score:5, Insightful)
You're funny.. but the truth is much much closer to this.
North Korea is all bluff and bluster. I've never seen a more faithful reenactment of The Animal Farm. There is a ruling class there that has all the shiny toys and entertainment from the "evil" imperialist countries. Why would they ever risk losing their own life styles for ideals that are nothing more than lip service?
Re:And let's not forget... (Score:5, Insightful)
No, from all that I can see the USA doesn't have a democracy anymore. It has corporate democracy and that is quite a different beast.
Re:Size, range and much hype... (Score:4, Insightful)
South Korea has the world's 15th-largest economy, but it is largely driven by electronics exports [wikimedia.org]. North Korea has been threatening nuclear weapons for so long it's like the boy who cried wolf. The world knows the North is not going to resort to a nuclear strike unless something goes very, very wrong. So it needed a new, more-plausible boogie man. What better, and cheaper, to scare the world into giving it economic aid than the threat of an EMP strike that could cripple the South's economy? It wouldn't set the North back that far, and the world's response would be far less punitive than the response to a nuclear strike.
Of course, it's quite likely the North lacks the ability to deliver an effective EMP weapon, just as it lacks the ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the U.S. But to the masses, its just believable enough thanks to Western media plot devices. Did your parents ever waste electricity leaving a night light on to keep the monsters away from your bed at night? They knew there were no monsters, but it was a small cost compared to having you spend the night in their room. Likewise, the North is betting that the first world governments would rather spend a token amount on aid than waste all their time trying to reassure their citizens that the EMP monster isn't really going to take away their TVs/smartphones/etc.
Re:And let's not forget... (Score:5, Insightful)