I am sure we will use high power microwaves (HPMs)against the Norks. Much of the United States’ EMP research has involved HPMs. Such weapons are like super powerful microwave ovens. Their specialty is they can generate a super concentrated beam of microwave energy. HPMs can be mounted to a cruise missile, disrupting ground targets from above. They are precise and affect exactly where we want them to.
Another kind of device that generates an EMP is the flux compression generator (FCGs). This type of bomb, like the HPMs, requires high technology to make them work. Basically the FCG has a armature surrounded by a stator winding. The armature cylinder is filled with a high explosive. The bomb also has a power source, such as a bank of capacitors, which are discharged through the stator. When the capacitors discharge a tremendous charge through the stator, a huge magnetic field is created. At that point an explosion is set off, causing the stator to short circuit. This compresses the magnetic field, generating an intense electromagnetic burst.
This type of weapon affects a relatively small area and is nothing like the widespread damage of a nuclear EMP device. Its advantage is it can concentrate its effect on a select area, much like the HPM.