(NewsNation) — North Korea claims its new spy satellite is working and getting photos of key U.S. locations like the White House.
The U.S. adversary launched that satellite into orbit last week, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is claiming to have personally reviewed the images.
Those images reportedly include pictures of the White House, the Pentagon and U.S. aircraft carriers at a naval facility in Norfolk, among others. Pearl Harbor’s naval base has also reportedly been photographed.
The Biden administration has said it cannot independently verify the claim but is sending a message to North Korea telling the country to stop its provocative actions.
In a statement, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the administration “strongly condemns the DPRK for its launch of a space vehicle using ballistic missile technology, which is a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Watson went on to say the launch raises questions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond.
North Korea has not released the photos yet, and the Defense Department has also said it cannot confirm the accuracy of the claims.
The Biden administration did say these latest actions do not mean the door is closed on diplomacy with Pyongyang but said North Korea must immediately cease its actions and “instead choose engagement.”