La radiodiffusion internationale brouillée par la Corée du Nord...

On vient d’apprendre que la Corée du Nord brouillait les émissions étrangères pendant près de 18 heures par jour, afin d'empêcher ses habitants de les écouter. Cette nouvelle provient de Radio Free Asia, qui se réfère à un responsable d’un site lié à l’information et à la communication du pays communiste. D’après cette radio américaine, si le régime de Pyongyang, en proie à la pénurie d’électricité, en consomme autant pour bloquer les émissions des stations étrangères, c’est parce qu’il prend au sérieux l’influence de ces émissions internationales.
(Radio Corée international, le 11-05-2012)

Suspected North Korean jamming disrupts South's GPS...

South Korea says North Korea may be to blame for disruptions to its satellite-based global positioning system that have affected air travel and shipping. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs says the disruptions began last Saturday and have affected 412 aircraft leaving and arriving at Incheon and Gimpo airports. The maritime police in Incheon says ships travelling in the Yellow Sea have also been affected. A total of 122 vessels, including 8 patrol boats, have reported problems with their navigation systems. There have been no reports of safety problems stemming from the apparent jamming, because GPS plays only an assisting role in navigation. But the government is calling for caution as many small fishing boats rely solely on GPS for their navigation. A South Korean government official tells NHK that the disrupting signals apparently originate from around the North Korean city of Kaesong, near the military border between the 2 Koreas. South Korea is working to locate the source of the signals before filing a protest with the North through international organizations.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-05-05)

North Korea has ability to produce at least 10 nuclear weapons...

A South Korean nuclear expert says North Korea is estimated to have enough plutonium and highly enriched uranium to produce at least ten nuclear weapons. The expert, who requested anonymity, said Wednesday that the North is assessed to have more than 40 kilograms of plutonium. He said the plutonium has been acquired through at least three reprocessing efforts since 2003. Given that it takes around six kilograms of plutonium to produce one nuclear weapon, the North currently has the ability to produce six to seven nuclear arms. The expert also said the North is regarded to have 60 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which is enough to produce three to four nuclear weapons.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-05-03)

North Korea affects South Korean flights with jamming signals...

The government says North Korea has been emitting electronic jamming signals and disrupting the GPS systems of private South Korean airplanes. The Transport Ministry says the North's attack began Saturday and has affected 252 aircraft, eleven of which are foreign-flagged airliners. The jamming mainly occurred between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. The ministry says none of the flights were endangered, and the planes have continued to operate as usual. The ministry is also looking out for maritime damage as the jamming could have affected Navy or Coast Guard vessels, cargo ships and fishing boats operating in the Yellow Sea.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-05-02)

En Corée du Nord, de faux missiles auraient été présentés lors d'un défilé militaire...

Selon un expert allemand, l'armée nord-coréenne aurait exposé de faux missiles intercontinentaux lors du défilé organisé ce mois-ci à P'yongyang. L'ingénieur allemand Robert Schmucker, qui faisait partie de l'équipe onusienne d'inspecteurs dépêchée en Irak dans les années 1990, a accordé samedi un entretien à la NHK. Le 15 avril dernier, la Corée du Nord a exposé des missiles lors du défilé qui marquait le centième anniversaire de Kim Il-sung, le fondateur de la république populaire. Ayant analysé les photos du matériel présenté à cette occasion, M. Schmucker en est venu à la conclusion qu'il s'agissait de maquettes, pour diverses raisons. Les clichés révélant notamment des ondulations à la surface d'une ogive, l'ingénieur allemand estime que celle-ci n'a pas la résistance requise pour endurer un retour dans l'atmosphère. M. Schmucker a par ailleurs observé que les engins étaient dotés d'équipements pour le ravitaillement en combustibles solide et liquide, ce qui lui paraît invraisemblable. Il a enfin estimé que la Corée du Nord n'avait pas vraiment progressé en matière de développement de missiles balistiques intercontinentaux.
(Radio Japon International, 29-04-2012)

Chinese firm sold North Korea 8 military vehicles...

A Chinese firm reportedly sold North Korea transport vehicles that could be used as launch pads for long-range ballistic missiles.

The web version of Canadian news agency Kanwa Information Center reported on Wednesday that the firm provided 8 transport vehicles last year.

The agency, which specializes in China's military activities, said that Hubei Sanjiang Space Wanshan Special Vehicle Company accepted the order in 2008.

The company is a subsidiary of a major state-run enterprise and manufactures customized military vehicles.

An intercontinental ballistic missile shown off during a Pyongyang military parade in mid-April was mounted on a similar vehicle.

The editor in chief of the news agency says the vehicles were sold for commercial purposes, but suggests the firm may have known they were intended for military use.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-04-26)

Experts say North Korean missiles were mock-ups...

Foreign experts say the six missiles North Korea unveiled during its military parade on April 15th were clearly mock-ups, and the North was merely putting on a show.

A German expert on North Korean missiles and other experts stated in a report that the missiles are undoubtedly life-size replicas that have somewhat improved from the model of the North's Musudan missile showcased in 2010.

The experts argue that at a glance, the models appear to be long-range missiles with a range of ten-thousand kilometers. However, they say a closer look reveals that all of the missiles are mock-ups. The report concludes there is no proof that North Korea owns a proper intercontinental ballistic missile.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-04-24)