North Korea and the threat of electromagnetic pulse bombs

(Baonghean.vn) - In a rare statement this month, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned the possibility of conducting an attack using an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bomb.

An electromagnetic pulse attack could destroy a country's entire electrical infrastructure in an instant. Photo: AP

According to Pyongyang, the weapon “is a multi-purpose thermonuclear weapon with great destructive power, which can be detonated at a fairly high altitude if a super-powerful EMP attack occurs.”

Security expert Euan Graham, from the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy, said an EMP attack would be triggered by detonating a nuclear weapon tens or hundreds of kilometers away from Earth.

“The electromagnetic waves from the nuclear explosion will emit electric pulses that destroy the electrical system and electrical equipment at a certain target,” he explained.

An EMP attack might not directly kill people or collapse buildings, but the impact on a society as reliant on technology as the US or Japan would be huge.

Power outages can last for months, crippling power supplies and leaving hospitals and other critical infrastructure vulnerable to prolonged power outages. Emergency workers cannot function normally, and people are left with food and water shortages.

Meanwhile, William Graham – Chairman of a US Congressional Committee explained in an article published on the website 38 degrees north:

“Even using a balloon to float a warhead and detonate it at an altitude of 30 km could cause a blackout of the entire eastern power grid, which accounts for 75% of the US power grid.”

However, this expert believes that EMP is not North Korea's top priority, because they are interested in building a nuclear strike force to deter the US. And this expert believes that the biggest obstacle when North Korea deploys EMP is the response that the country may have to face, the consequences for Pyongyang could be dire./.

Lan Ha

(According to 9News.com.au)