DPRK, “Military spy satellite captured images of the U.S. White House and Pentagon. Fine-tuning in progress”

On November 25, the Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the National Aerospace Development Administration’s Pyongyang Control Center and reviewed satellite images captured by the military reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, on November 24. Yonhap News

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced on Tuesday that they captured images of major military facilities in the U.S. mainland including the White House and the Pentagon using its military reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the National Aerospace Development Administration’s Pyongyang Control Center early Tuesday, following his previous visit on Monday morning, and received a report on preparations to utilize the military spy satellite in progress from November 25 to this day, according to a coverage by the Rodong Sinmun, the official media outlet of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

“He (Chairman Kim) received a specific report on images captured, such as the Naval Station Norfolk, the Newport News Shipyard and airfield in Virginia captured at 23:35:53, along with the White House and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. captured at 23:36:25 on November 27 (Pyongyang time),” the Rodong Sinmun reported.

The newspaper continued and stated, “Four U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one British aircraft carrier were detected in the images of the Naval Station Norfolk and the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia.” On Monday, the North Korean leader received a report on satellite images of the Andersen Air Force Base in the U.S. territory of Guam in the Western Pacific.

The DPRK leader’s visit to the Pyongyang Control Center was his fifth following his visits on Nov. 22, the day after the North successfully launched the military spy satellite, Nov. 24, 25, and 27. North Korea claimed to have captured satellite images of major South Korean and U.S. military facilities, showing that the military spy satellite was operating properly before beginning official reconnaissance activities.

“The fine-tuning of the reconnaissance satellite is proceeding smoothly according to the control means and system of the National Aerospace Development Administration’s Pyongyang Control Center, and the fine-tuning is 1-2 days ahead of schedule.” Depending on the “fine-tuning” process, North Korea could begin its official reconnaissance activities earlier than the scheduled December 1.

This was the first time that North Korea released the fact that their spy satellite captured major facilities in mainland U.S.A., such as the White House--the residence and office of the U.S. president--and the Pentagon, which houses the U.S. Department of Defense. Previously, the DPRK announced that they captured images of the Naval Station Pearl Harbor and the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii and the Andersen Air Force Base and Apra Harbor in Guam. The North is presenting itself as a threat to the U.S. as it continues to upgrade its intercontinental ballistic missiles aiming at the entire U.S. territory.