North Korea’s Spy Satellite Ready for Action, but Photos Yet to Confirm

North Korea boasts that the recently launched military reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 usually operates. While it claims to be monitoring military bases in South Korea, the United States, and Japan, including the White House and the Pentagon, it has not released any photos. It is noteworthy whether North Korea, which set the official mission execution date of the reconnaissance satellite on December 1st, will release satellite photos as its first action.

The Korean Central News Agency of North Korea claimed on the 30th that it had photographed the U.S. naval base in San Diego and the U.S. Air Force Base in Kadena, Okinawa, Japan, with a reconnaissance satellite. According to the report, the National Aerospace Development Administration’s Pyongyang Integrated Control Center reported to Kim Jong Un the photo data test shot by the reconnaissance satellite and the details related to the fine-tuning of the reconnaissance satellite. A photograph captured the San Diego naval base at 2:24:50 AM on the 29th Pyongyang time, and another captured the Kadena Air Force Base at 10:16:42 AM.

The news agency reported that Kim Jong Un expressed great expectations and satisfaction with the project. Given Kim’s mention of satisfaction with the reconnaissance satellite’s activities, North Korea is anticipated to officially commence its first reconnaissance satellite mission as planned on the 1st.

Since the launch of Malligyong-1 on the night of November 21st, North Korea has claimed to have photographed areas around the Korean peninsula, major U.S. military bases in Guam and Hawaii, and the U.S. White House and Pentagon. It also publicly stated that Malligyong-1 would undergo fine-tuning and enter an official reconnaissance mission on December 1st.

Typically, a reconnaissance satellite undergoes an operation test evaluation process for power-up after entering orbit. It is known that it usually takes 4-6 months from the launch of a reconnaissance satellite to full power. If North Korea’s claim is valid, it has completed preparations for operating a reconnaissance satellite in just ten days and is entering full power.

A military official said, “The reconnaissance satellite needs to check its status after going into orbit and exchange communications to confirm that the computer inside the satellite is working properly, and it takes a long time to focus on taking pictures.” He evaluated, “Even if these tasks are completed, it is uncertain whether the North Korean reconnaissance satellite will operate properly.”

People are still raising questions about the effectiveness of the reconnaissance satellite. North Korea has not released actual satellite photos that can verify the performance of the reconnaissance satellite, such as resolution. Some analysis suggests that North Korea may not release satellite photos even if it starts official missions because the camera’s resolution on the North Korean reconnaissance satellite is low.

Pat Ryder, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesman, downplayed North Korea’s claim to have taken satellite photos during a briefing on the 28th (local time). He remarked, “There are many images of the Pentagon and the White House on the Internet.”

However, the possibility that North Korea may suddenly release satellite photos to mark the start of official reconnaissance missions cannot be ruled out. As satellite photos can show surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, North Korea may try to deceive its technical level through correction and adjustment processes. It has been reported that countries with advanced military technology, such as the United States, also go through some correction procedures when releasing reconnaissance satellite photos.

By. Cho Jae Hyung