North Korea’s military and intelligence services claimed success in a recent joint electronic warfare exercise, strengthening their ability to detect and jam radar along the Chinese and South Korean borders, Korean media reported on Tuesday.
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security presented these findings to the heads of radar bureau departments on December 9 in an analytical report on the exercise. The report emphasised increased cooperation between the ministry’s radar bureau and electronic warfare specialists from the Korean People’s Army (KPA) General Staff Directorate, especially in countering potential drone incursions.
Analysts said the data collected during the exercise helped optimise radar jamming equipment and improve the efficiency of command and control management for real-time information sharing between the ministry and the military. The ministry stressed that this first-ever joint exercise involving the radar bureau marked significant progress in real-time frequency detection and jamming with new equipment, saying that response times to enemy drone intrusions improved by an average of 30 per cent.
The exercise, which appears to be a direct response to an alleged incursion by South Korean drones into Pyongyang, signals the regime’s intention to increase coordination between the military and intelligence services while modernising electronic warfare countermeasures. North Korea now plans to hold such drills regularly to maintain and improve its technical capabilities. The source said:
“The ministry is reviewing options to acquire additional electronic warfare equipment and expand the radar bureau’s role. These proposals will be presented at the party’s year-end plenary session.”
The ministry is already drawing up plans to strengthen electronic and information warfare countermeasures for next year, citing possible future drone incursions by South Korea and other adversaries. The source added:
“The ministry likely aims to centralise electronic warfare countermeasures under state control while upgrading military capabilities and technological advantages.”
Technical experts from the ministry’s radar bureau and the radar and electronic warfare bureau of the KPA General Staff General Directorate participated in the joint exercise, which took place from on November 6-18. The operations were conducted in six strategic locations, namely Hoeryong in North Hamgyong Province, Pochon in Ryanggang Province, Vivon County in Jagang Province, Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province, Chorwon County in Gangwon Province and Pyongsan County in North Hwanghae Province.
