North Korea Claims Spy Satellite Captures Images of White House and Pentagon

North Korea asserts that its newly launched satellite has transmitted “detailed” images of the White House, the Pentagon, and US nuclear aircraft carriers, with regime leader Kim Jong-un reportedly viewing the images.

One week after launch, the photos’ existence was not independently confirmed, and experts say it is too soon to tell whether the spy satellite Malligyong-1 is operating as intended.

The state-run KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday that Kim had seen images of the two US government sites that had been taken late on Monday night. Kim had watched the launch before hosting a dinner for scientists and employees of the space program.

The recently launched North Korean satellite reportedly captured images of four US nuclear aircraft carriers and a British aircraft carrier.

Additionally, the satellite imagery included pictures of a shipyard, an airfield, and a US naval base in Virginia.

This development comes in the wake of a Tuesday launch, an event that drew swift condemnation from Washington and heightened tensions along the heavily armed inter-Korean border.

The Pyongyang regime is likely to leverage this satellite launch to its maximum advantage, utilizing the captured imagery as a means to further its geopolitical objectives.

The situation has added another layer of complexity to the already strained relations in the region.

North Korea’s Spy Satellite Took Images of South Korean Military Facilities

The North has also asserted that the satellite captured images of South Korean military facilities, Hawaii, and Guam, US Pacific territories. The pictures have not been released to the public.

South Korean military officials say they think Malligyong-1 has reached orbit, but they are unsure if it can capture and transmit images from space at this time.

The spy satellite caused a ruckus at the UN security council on Monday. It is believed that Russian technological assistance made the spy satellite possible.

South Korean intelligence officials suggest that Russia assisted North Korea in launching the Malligyong-1 satellite in exchange for ammunition for the conflict in Ukraine.

Despite denials from Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin regarding an arms deal during their September summit, the US contends that North Korea has supplied the Kremlin with over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions.