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[Herald Economy=Reporter Jeon Hyun-gun] Lawmakers warn that as North Korea’s electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat becomes more advanced, South Korea’s core public-safety networks — including police and fire services — remain effectively unprotected.
Documents released May 26 by Yoo Yong-won, a People Power Party member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, show that many government agencies responsible for social overhead capital (SOC) facilities lack physical shielding systems to defend major infrastructure — public safety, disaster response and the power sector — against EMP attacks.
“A single EMP strike from North Korea could send tech-forward South Korea back to the Stone Age,” Yoo said. “Key infrastructure that protects citizens’ lives and safety is effectively exposed to the EMP threat.”
North Korea has been overtly showcasing its electronic-warfare capabilities, including EMPs.
At the 9th Workers’ Party Congress in February, leader Kim Jong Un highlighted electronic-warfare weapon systems designed to paralyze enemy command centers. In April, Pyongyang reportedly tested a short-range ballistic missile, the Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23), fitted with an EMP warhead.
Domestic preparations, however, remain inadequate. Under the current Integrated Defense Act, agencies designated as national-defense elements — the National Police Agency, the Korea Coast Guard and the National Fire Agency — have not installed shielding facilities to protect control centers and communications equipment from EMP. Officials warn such an attack could simultaneously knock out policing, rescue and disaster-response capabilities, creating a critical security gap.
Advanced infrastructure faces similar vulnerabilities. The national artificial intelligence (AI) data center lacks EMP protections, raising concerns that an attack could trigger a widespread systems shutdown and undermine the AI industry’s foundation.
The power grid is also exposed. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the Korea Power Exchange and generation subsidiaries do not have adequate physical EMP defenses.
Some agencies ran pilot evaluations with the National Intelligence Service and the National Radio Research Agency, but budget constraints have stalled follow-up work. Analysts estimate that recovering the power grid after an EMP attack could take between 2.3 and 11 hours.
Officials warn a nationwide outage during that window could devastate key industries — especially semiconductors — and disrupt communications, healthcare and transportation, inflicting serious damage on daily life.
A few organizations have moved proactively. The National Information Resources Service installed a building-level shielding system at a backup center. The Bank of Korea equipped its disaster-recovery center with EMP protection and real-time data replication. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has bolstered EMP defenses at nuclear plants with high-strength shielding and hardened equipment.
Yoo said watching Ukrainians suffer in freezing conditions after power-grid collapses underscored the importance of protecting critical infrastructure. “If electricity and communications are knocked out by an EMP, government functions would effectively stop,” he said.
Yoo urged the central government to take the lead, providing funding and a whole-of-government plan rather than leaving EMP shielding to individual agencies.
He also criticized the current administration’s approach to North Korea: “Pyongyang is strengthening its military threats while our government responds passively. We need concrete preparedness and heightened vigilance, not empty talk of peace.”
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