North Korea is using Russian technology to develop electromagnetic pulse weapons aimed at paralysing military electronic equipment south of the border, according to South Korea's spy agency.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a report to parliament that the North had purchased Russian electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weaponry to develop its own versions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects the Mu Islet Hero Defence Detachment. Credit:KNS/AFP

EMP weapons are used to damage electronic equipment. At higher energy levels, an EMP can cause more widespread damage including to aircraft structures and other objects.

The spy agency also said the North's leader Kim Jong-Un sees cyber attacks as an all-purpose weapon along with nuclear weapons and missiles, according to legislators briefed by the NIS.