North Korea says Kim Jong Un saw US military bases after successful spy satellite launch

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un saw photos of US military sites taken by a spy satellite launched on Tuesday, state media reported Wednesday, according to a translation published on KCNA Watch.

South Korea confirmed that North Korea successfully placed the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite into orbit after two attempts in May and August that failed due to a rocket malfunction, The New York Times reported. Kim visited the headquarters of North Korea’s aerospace agency in Pyongyang to view images collected on Wednesday morning local time at Anderson Air Force Base and other US military sites in Guam, state media Agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim stressed the need for North Korea to deploy a constellation of spy satellites to boost the DPRK’s military’s ability to strike at long distances and for self-defense, KCNA reported.

The launch represents “a great event to develop the Republic’s armed forces and deal with a new military situation in the region,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

US strategic bombers based on in Andersen have been deployed near North Korea a to send a message of strength.

Malligyong-1 will be fully operational on December 1 after a period of adjustments, KCNA said.

South Korea’s military acknowledged the successful launch of the Malligyong-1, but said more analysis was needed to determine whether it worked as North Korea announced, the NYT reported. It is not yet clear whether the satellite deployed its solar panels, which allowed it to recharge its batteries and transmit signals and images to the ground station.

Scientists who studied debris from the failed launch in May assessed that Malligyong-1 likely lacked the technology to provide high-resolution images of the kind collected by US space reconnaissance assets, the NYT reported.

North Korea said it successfully placed its first spy satellite into orbit and vowed to launch more in the near future, defying international condemnation from the United States and its allies. https://t.co/TWXFJPFR8Upic.twitter.com/DPzePDUQoB

— Reuters Asia (@ReutersAsia) November 22, 2023

The United States, Japan and South Korea condemned North Korea for launching the satellite in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions on launching rockets into space, the NYT reported. Washington has accused Pyongyang of using its space programs to hide research on long-range ballistic missile technology to carry nuclear payloads.

On Wednesday, South Korea suspended a 2018 treaty it had maintained The no-fly rules over the north-south border zone and banned live-fire military drills and aerial surveillance flights, the NYT reported.

“North Korea has made it clear that it is not interested in easing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula or fulfilling the confidence-building military agreement,” South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Wednesday, reported the NYT.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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