As the third-strongest geostationary solar energetic particle (SEP) event on record occurred, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) on the 20th raised the space weather disaster alert to the "caution" level. The Korea AeroSpace Administration said the event could cause temporary disruptions to radio-based services such as satellite communications and global positioning system (GPS), and urged users to exercise caution.
According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred the previous day reached Earth early on the 20th. As a result, level-4 alerts for solar particle influx and for geomagnetic disturbance were issued in succession, and the Korea AeroSpace Administration disseminated the situation to relevant agencies and raised the crisis alert in stages.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) Space Environment Center explained that due to the impact of the CME accompanying a powerful sunspot flare that occurred at 2:56 a.m. on the 19th, it issued a level-4 alert for solar particle influx at 3:17 a.m. on the 20th. The observed reading at that time was 37,000 pfu (the flux of high-energy particles entering per unit area per second), the highest since March 1991, which historically recorded the top level, making it the highest in about 35 years.
In line with the level-4 alert for solar particle influx, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) issued a "attention" space weather disaster crisis alert at 4:20 a.m. on the 20th, then raised it to "caution" at 5:30 a.m. after a level-4 geomagnetic disturbance alert was additionally issued.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said the space weather disaster could cause temporary disruptions in services that use radio, including satellite communications, GPS location services, aircraft navigation equipment, and shortwave communications. However, it added that so far there have been no damage reports related to this disaster in major sectors such as satellite, aviation, and telecommunications.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said it is operating a 24-hour space weather disaster response system with relevant agencies participating and is implementing preventive measures against damage by sector, including satellites, aviation, telecommunications, and power.
Yoon Young-bin, Korea AeroSpace Administration commissioner, said, "In a space weather disaster situation, satellite communications and location services may be affected," adding, "Please check flight information in advance when using air travel, and be mindful of potential position errors when using GPS."