North Korea said that its first spy satellite, which was launched into orbit this month, captured images of the White House, Pentagon, and surrounding US naval bases.
The significant US sites are added to a list of locations North Korea claims to have photographed with its space reconnaissance mission, which was launched last week.
The latest images, along with prior shots of Rome, Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, Pearl Harbor, and the US Navy’s Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, were seen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
South Korea retrieved one of North Korea’s spy satellites following a failed launch earlier this year and found the technology had little military use. While Seoul believes that any North Korean satellite would be primitive at best, such technology may aid Kim’s regime in targeting as it increases its ability to launch a nuclear strike.
North Korea had stated that the satellite would formally begin its surveillance mission on December 1 after some fine-tuning, but the official Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday, “The fine-tuning process of the satellite is being hastened to end one or two days earlier”.
There has been no proof from the outside world that the satellite is operational, and North Korea has yet to reveal any photographs captured by its new satellite to the outside world.
When it comes to satellite claims, North Korea has a history of hyperbole. Under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, the current leader’s father, North Korea claimed to have launched a satellite playing revolutionary melodies, only for Washington to warn the probe was most likely lost at sea.
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