---
title: "South Korea Just Revealed a “Blackout Bomb” That Can Wipe Out Electrical Grids"
description: "South Korea has acquired the technology to develop \"blackout bombs\" — bombs that can short-circuit and disrupt any nearby hardware that uses electricity."
date: "2017-10-10"
modified: "2017-10-10"
authors:
  - name: "Kyree Leary"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kyree"
url: "https://futurism.com/south-korea-blackout-bomb-wipe-out-electrical-grids"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "bomb"
  - "graphite"
  - "north korea"
  - "South Korea"
  - "warfare"
---

# South Korea Just Revealed a “Blackout Bomb” That Can Wipe Out Electrical Grids

![south korea north korea graphite electricity](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/GettyImages-158773613.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/158773613" target="\_blank"\>Alceu Baptistão/Getty\</a\>\</em\>*

## Blackout Bombs

South Korea is in the midst of developing a bomb that can target electrical grids to essentially render an area's electronics utterly useless.

Known as "blackout bombs," these devices are designed to be dropped by a plane onto key power stations. Upon impact, they release carbon graphite filaments capable of short-circuiting and disrupting any nearby hardware that relies on electricity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY904Uj859g

Blackout bombs were first used by the U.S. Navy in 1991 during the Gulf War and then by NATO against Serbia in 1999. Now, Seoul’s [Agency for Defense Development (ADD)](<http://www.add.re.kr/>) has plans to use these bombs against North Korea's own power systems.

The bombs would be used as part of [South Korea's "Kill Chain" plan](<https://www.vox.com/world/2017/9/12/16296758/south-korea-north-korea-military-spartan-3000>), in which the nation would preemptively launch missiles at North Korea if it detected the country was preparing to fire their own.

"All technologies for the development of a graphite bomb led by the ADD have been secured. It is in the stage where we can build the bombs anytime," a military official [told Korean news agency *Yonhap*](<http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/search1/2603000000.html?cid=AEN20171008000600315>).

## Preparing for Battle

This news of South Korea's development of blackout bombs arrives at a time when no one knows for sure whether or not North Korea will act upon its threats of [nuclear war](<https://futurism.com/this-is-what-nuclear-warfare-will-do-to-our-planet>). That said, the South Korean military has stated it doesn't believe an attack is imminent.

\[infographic postid="70279"\]\[/infographic\]

"We have yet to detect any signs of immediate provocations from North Korea," a South Korean military source [told *Yonhap*](<http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/10/09/0200000000AEN20171009001900315.html>). "We are maintaining an upgraded monitoring effort to guard against any developments."

South Korea isn't the only nation planning for the worst from North Korea. Britain is also [revising its own battle plans](<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/09/britain-prepares-war-north-korea-new-carrier-could-rushed-service/>) for war with the dictatorship. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said during his keynote address at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting today that [the U.S. has "got to be ready](<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mattis-tells-army-to-be-ready-on-north-korea-military-options/>)" in case it must respond quickly to North Korean activity.

If North Korea were to launch a nuclear attack, the devastation [could be catastrophic](<https://futurism.com/this-is-what-nuclear-warfare-will-do-to-our-planet>), so this is one instance when early preparation could truly be a matter of life or death.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/KyreeLeary>)