North Korean Leader Reveals Photos Taken of American Carrier by New Spy Satellite
In a bold move that has escalated tensions between North Korea and the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly examined photos taken of an American carrier by the communist nation’s first spy satellite. The state media reported on Saturday that Kim surveyed the photos during a visit to the control center of North Korea’s National Aerospace Technology Administration on Friday.
According to the Pyongyang Times, Kim “learned in detail about the photos of major target areas in the enemy region, including Mokpho, Gunsan, Phyongthaek, Osan, and Seoul, and of various regions in the country.” Phyongthaek, Kunsan, and Osan all host U.S. military facilities.
The North also claimed to have captured images of the USS Carl Vinson, an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, with technology from the new spy satellite. This news comes after Pyongyang announced on Wednesday that it had successfully launched its first spy satellite. The launch followed two failed attempts earlier in the year.
The satellite, named Malligyong-1, took off from a launch site in Tongchang-ri on Tuesday at 10:42 pm atop a Chollima-1 rocket. The launch has prompted strong condemnations from the United States and South Korea. In response, South Korea announced that it is scrapping parts of the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement, an inter-Korean agreement aimed at de-escalating tensions between the nations.
This move has led North Korea to announce on Thursday that it is completely withdrawing from the agreement and would restore “all military measures” in the border area. The situation between North Korea and the United States and its allies remains tense as both parties continue to make provocative moves.