Pictures of military installations
North Korea threatens dispute over spy satellites
December 2, 2023, 7:20 a.m
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North Korea succeeds in deploying a spy satellite for the first time. A short time later, the country’s rulers declared that any kind of disruption to the satellite would be interpreted as a declaration of war. Washington reacts promptly.
North Korea has warned that it will interpret any disruption to its satellite service as a declaration of war, state news agency KCNA quoted North Korea’s defense ministry spokesman as saying. In the event of an attack on its strategic facilities, it would mobilize its military deterrent. “Should the US attempt to violate the legitimate territory of a sovereign state by illegally and unjustifiably weaponizing the latest technologies, the DPRK will consider taking self-defense measures to undermine or destroy the functionality of US spy satellites ” said the statement.
DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. North Korea said it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on November 21, transmitting photos of military facilities on the US mainland, Japan and the US territory of Guam.
Washington reacts with sanctions
When asked whether Washington would be able to disrupt the North Korean satellite’s reconnaissance operations, a US Space Command spokesman said the US could disrupt an adversary’s space capabilities using a variety of means, US broadcaster RFA reported.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on North Korea’s agents abroad who evade sanctions to obtain revenue and technology for North Korea’s mass destruction programs. South Korea on Friday blacklisted 11 North Koreans for their involvement in the development of satellites and ballistic missiles and banned them from any financial transactions.