North Korea has started satellite reconnaissance operations today, Sunday, according to the country's official news agency, following the launch of its first military spy satellite last month. This move prompted the United States and its allies to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that the new satellite operations office, based at the General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, has begun its mission and will relay information received to the military's reconnaissance office and other major units.
North Korea claims it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on November 21, which has taken pictures of the White House, the U.S. Department of Defense (the Pentagon), U.S. military bases, and "target areas" in South Korea. This step has heightened regional tensions and led the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea to impose new sanctions on North Korea.
Pyongyang has not yet released any images from the satellite, leaving analysts and foreign governments uncertain about the capabilities of the new satellite, a topic likely to be discussed in their meetings. Last month, North Korea stated it would deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along its border with South Korea after Seoul suspended part of a 2018 military agreement between the Koreas in protest of North Korea's satellite launch.
In response, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that the head of the agency, Kim Myung-soo, visited front-line units near the border with the North on Saturday to assess the readiness situation amid escalating tensions.
