The US government responded to the claim that North Korea captured the White House, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) and some US military bases with the spy satellite it sent into orbit. In his statement on the subject, US Department of Defense Spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder pointed out that many of the images mentioned by Pyongyang are publicly accessible and said, “There are many images of the Pentagon and the White House on the internet.”
Confirming that the satellite launched by North Korea entered orbit in response to a question, Ryder said, “We know that it has entered orbit. “In order for something to enter orbit, it must escape the Earth’s gravity and remain in orbit around the Earth,” he said. “So it’s really up to the North Koreans to define what the parameters of this launch are and what they hope to achieve,” Ryder said, adding that the United States will remain in close communication with South Korea, Japan and other partners and will closely monitor relevant developments.
REPEATED ITS SECURITY COMMITMENT
Reiterating his country’s security commitment to South Korea and Japan, Ryder said, “What I will say is that the United States’ extended deterrence policy against both the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Japan will continue determinedly.” Reminding that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had just returned from his second trip to the Korean Peninsula this year, Ryder said, “After seventy years of efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, we are very pleased that the US-Republic of Korea (South Korea) alliance remains strong.” “He stated it clearly,” he said.
PYONYANG’S SATELLITE STEP INCREASED TENSION
North Korea’s sending of the spy satellite named Malligyong-1 into orbit with the new type of Chollima-1 rocket increased tension on the Korean Peninsula. While South Korea partially suspended the military agreement signed in 2018 to reduce military tensions with North Korea, Pyongyang announced that it was withdrawing from the agreement in retaliation. Pyongyang, which increased its military activities around the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea following the developments, claimed that it had viewed the White House, Pentagon and some US military bases via the satellite it sent into orbit yesterday.
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