North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly scrutinized imagery captured by the nation's recently launched spy satellite, focusing on what state media describes as "major target regions." These regions notably include the South Korean capital of Seoul and various cities housing United States military bases.

The satellite, launched by nuclear-armed North Korea earlier this week, purportedly transmitted images that were inspected by Kim Jong Un. Despite claims made by North Korean state media, South Korean defense authorities and analysts have not independently verified the satellite's actual capabilities. Nevertheless, Kim Jong Un examined images encompassing Seoul, as well as other significant locations such as Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek, and Osan, all of which host military bases operated jointly by the U.S. and South Korea. These photographs were reportedly taken during the satellite's pass over the peninsula on Friday morning, according to the state news agency KCNA.

Kim Jong Un's visit to the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) control center in Pyongyang on Friday involved an examination of images captured not only within North Korea but also of strategic areas within South Korea. Subsequently, on Saturday, Kim revisited the control center to review additional images taken that morning, focusing on different target regions in South Korea, specifically Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, and Gangneung.

One of the photographs reportedly revealed the presence of the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which had arrived at a port in the South Korean city of Busan on Tuesday, as per KCNA reports. During his inspection, Kim also scrutinized images captured by the satellite of U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base as it passed over Hawaii early Saturday.

In a separate commentary published by KCNA on Saturday, North Korea condemned the United States for supplying advanced weaponry to its "puppet" allies, warning of dire consequences if tensions escalate on the Korean peninsula. The commentary cautioned that any small provocation could lead to a catastrophic global nuclear conflict, urging the U.S. to consider the ramifications of arming its allied forces.

Meanwhile, top diplomats from Japan, South Korea, and the United States issued a joint statement on Friday strongly denouncing the recent satellite launch for its destabilizing impact on the region, as stated by the U.S. State Department. KCNA had earlier reported that Kim Jong Un had reviewed images taken above the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, focusing on U.S. military installations.

In response, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik dismissed North Korea's claims, stating that their assertions of Kim having already viewed images of Guam were "exaggerated." He emphasized that even if the satellite enters a regular orbit, it takes a considerable amount of time to conduct standard reconnaissance activities, as reported by the Korean Media.

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