North Korean leader Kim Jong Un viewed photos of US military facilities in Guam from a new spy satellite which was launched into orbit, the state’s official media claimed as per news agency Bloomberg. Kim Jong Un saw “aerospace photos of Anderson Air Force Base, Apra Harbor and other major military bases of the US forces taken in the sky above Guam in the Pacific,” the Korean Central News Agency reported after North Korea fired a rocket into space which was closely watched by the US, Japan and South Korea.
The countries have not confirmed if any satellite was deployed or operational as officials and experts around the world are seeking to independently verify North Korea’s claim. This comes after North Korea two previous attempts which were unsuccessful. Pyongyang had then quickly admitted failure saying that the satellites had experienced engine problems shortly after takeoff and fell into the sea.
But this time, North Korea heralded what it said was a successful launch of its new “Malligyong-1” satellite which would formally start its reconnaissance mission from Dec. 1 after some fine tuning, it said.
Kim Jong Un said an array of spy satellites is needed to closely monitor military maneuvers of the “US imperialists and their vassal armies,” which are endangering the regional situation, KCNA reported.
While Seoul believed that the spy satellite would not be of expert nature but it could help North Korea in understanding targets as it has designed missiles deliver nuclear strikes in South Korea and Japan.
Earlier this month, North Korea tested new engines for intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, “To assess the success of this launch, it is crucial not only to determine whether the projectile entered orbit but also to secure the ability to adjust and conduct reconnaissance from that orbit. This includes verifying the capability to take pictures with optical cameras and transmitting them appropriately to the satellite centre.”
