South Korea develops 'blackout bomb' to use against Kim Jong-un

Anthony Pearce
A South Korean Hyunmoo II ballistic missile is fired last month
A South Korean Hyunmoo II ballistic missile is fired last month

South Korea has developed a type of graphite bomb aimed at paralysing North Korea’s power grid should Kim Jong-un provoke nuclear war.

The Yonhap news agency in Seoul reports that the “blackout bomb” short-circuits electricity grids by spreading chemically treated carbon graphite filaments.

The type of bomb was first used against Iraq in the first Gulf War, and then by Nato against Serbia in 1999, where it knocked out between 75 and 80 per cent of power.

According to reports, the weapons have been developed by South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development as part of the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike program.

“All technologies for the development of a graphite bomb led by the ADD have been secured”, a military official said.

“It is at the stage where we can build the bombs at any time”.

Last month, South Korea carried out a simulated attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site, following joint military drills with the US in late August.

At the same time Seoul approved the deployment of a US anti-missile system.

News of the blackout bomb comes as Donald Trump continued his war of words with North Korea, tweeting that “only one thing will work” when it comes to the regime.

On Twitter, the US president said that any agreements made by previously US governments had been violated “before the ink was dry”.

“Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid…” he wrote.

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He added: “…hasn’t worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, making fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!”

The comments come just days after the US President told reporters and top military aides that they were in “the calm before the storm”.

Last month, James Mattis, the US defence secretary, warned any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam or allies, “will be met with a massive military response”.

At the United Nations, Trump referred to Kim Jong-un as “rocket man” and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea.

“The scourge of our planet today are a small group of rogue regimes. If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph,” he said.

In September, North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date, with a 6.3-magnitude earthquake registered at its Punggye-ri testing site.