Newyork - North Korea's ambassador made a rare appearance before the UN Security Council on Monday to justify his country's launch of a spy satellite. This move comes as leader Kim Jong Un scrutinized images, including those of the White House and the Pentagon.

Western powers, along with Japan and South Korea, have accused North Korea of violating Security Council resolutions with the recent satellite launch. The totalitarian state claims that its new satellite has already captured images of significant US and South Korean military sites, as well as photographs of Rome.

On Monday, the state-run KCNA news agency reported that the satellite took detailed images of the White House and the Pentagon in Washington, with Kim reviewing the photos. Additionally, he observed aircraft carriers at a military base and shipyard in Virginia, according to the report.

During the Security Council session, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, expressed discontent, stating that other countries faced no restrictions on satellites. He argued that the DPRK, facing a critical security environment, had the legitimate right to develop weapons systems equivalent to those possessed or developed by the United States.

Kim mocked US claims that satellite technology contributed to North Korea's missile capacity, questioning whether the United States put satellites into orbit "with a catapult." The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, rejected North Korea's self-defense assertion, emphasizing that joint US-South Korean exercises were routine and defensive.

South Korea's spy agency suggested that Russia, seeking assistance in Ukraine, aided North Korea in the satellite launch following a summit between Kim and President Vladimir Putin. The US had previously reported that North Korea delivered over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia.

Russia and China, North Korea's primary ally, proposed a resolution to ease sanctions on Pyongyang, aiming to encourage dialogue. The Chinese envoy accused the United States of exacerbating tension through its military alliance with South Korea, warning of a potential security dilemma on the Korean Peninsula.