North Korea threatened, Saturday, December 2, to shoot down United States spy satellites in response to “any attack” against its own satellite, in orbit for around ten days. Pyongyang said such an operation would be considered a ” declaration of war “reported the official KCNA news agency.
This statement comes after a US official explained that the United States has various “reversible and irreversible means” For “deprive an adversary of their spatial capabilities and counter them”.
This adversary could be North Korea, which succeeded in putting its first spy satellite into orbit at the end of November after two unsuccessful tests in May and August.
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“If the United States tries to violate the legitimate territory of a sovereign state”then Pyongyang “will consider taking self-defense measures to weaken or destroy the viability of American spy satellites”warned a spokesperson for the North Korean foreign ministry.
Any military operation against Pyongyang’s satellite considered as “imminent” will bring the regime to “use your war deterrent”. The reclusive country has nuclear weapons.
Since the successful launch of its first satellite, North Korea claims to have observed important American and South Korean military sites, and even Rome. However, it did not communicate any images that would have been taken by Malligyong-1.
According to South Korea, Russia helped North Korea successfully launch its spy satellite.