This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 25, 2023, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un speaking with officials, as he visited the National Aerospace Technology Administration the previous day to examine photos taken by the country's new military spy satellite. (Yonhap)
North Korea claimed Saturday its leader Kim Jong-un observed photos taken by the country's recently launched military spy satellite of "major target regions" in South Korea, where US Army bases are located, and parts of Hawaii.
Kim visited the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) on Friday to "learn about the operational preparation of the reconnaissance satellite" and looked at the aerospace photos, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
He examined the photos of major target regions, including Mokpo, Gunsan, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Seoul, and other areas in the South and the North, as the satellite passed over the Korean Peninsula from 10:15-10:27 a.m. on Friday, according to the KCNA.
Pyeongtaek is home to Camp Humphreys, the largest overseas US military installation in the world. Other US military bases are also located in Gunsan and Osan.
North Korea did not release photos taken by its spy satellite, but if confirmed, the satellite imagery could verify that the satellites are working properly in orbit.
NATA also reported to Kim on the "fine-tuning process" that took place for 62 hours after the reconnaissance satellite was put into its orbit and its plan for photographing the region of the South Korean "puppets," as well as an additional fine-tuning process that will take place Saturday morning, the KCNA said.
In a separate report released hours later, the KCNA said Kim visited NATA once again Saturday morning to inspect satellite imagery of major target areas, including Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung, taken between 9:59:40 and 10:02:10 a.m.
The North claimed it also captured photos of the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, currently docked at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 10:01 a.m.
Kim then examined photos of the naval base in Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Base in Honolulu as the spy satellite passed over Hawaii at 5:13 a.m. (Pyongyang time), according to the KCNA.
The North's state media again did not release photos taken by the satellite. (Yonhap)
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