North Korea claims its spy satellite captured images of White House, Pentagon
By Ryan General
November 29, 2023
North Korea claimed that its newly launched spy satellite, Malligyong-1, has photographed sensitive U.S. sites.
North Korea’s claims: According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the inaugural spy satellite, purportedly launched on Nov. 21, successfully captured detailed images of the White House, Pentagon and U.S. aircraft carriers at Norfolk naval base.
The report further claimed that the images show four U.S. nuclear aircraft carriers and a British aircraft carrier. Kim Jong Un reportedly personally reviewed the images captured on Nov. 27 before hosting a banquet for scientists and other employees of the North Korean space program.
International response: Upon North Korea’s satellite launch, the U.S. and South Korea swiftly expressed condemnation, considering it a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the use of ballistic technology, according to The Guardian.
South Korean intelligence officials suggest that Malligyong-1’s launch might have been facilitated by Russian assistance, possibly in exchange for military supplies related to the conflict in Ukraine.
During a United Nations (UN) security council meeting on Nov. 27, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the UN, accused North Korea of advancing its nuclear weapons delivery systems in violation of international resolutions.
Legitimate right: North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Song dismissed critics’ accusations his country violated resolutions during a rare appearance at the Security Council, defending the satellite launch as a legitimate right in response to perceived threats.
“No other nation in the world is in a security environment as critical as the DPRK. One belligerent party, the United States, is threatening us with a nuclear weapon. It is a legitimate right for the DPRK as another belligerent party to develop, test, manufacture and possess weapons systems equivalent to those that the United States possesses or is developing.”
Skepticism and unverified claims: Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder acknowledged the satellite’s orbital entry but refrained from commenting on the claimed captured images, reported Reuters.
Analysts, including Dave Schmerler from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, emphasized the need to see the actual images to assess the satellite’s capabilities accurately.
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