A North Korean newspaper says leader Kim Jong Un has inspected photos taken by the country's new reconnaissance satellite of "major target areas" in South Korea.

Saturday's edition of the Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party paper, said Kim reviewed the operational preparations for the satellite at the control center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration on Friday.

The paper said the photos were taken while the satellite was passing over the Korean Peninsula after 10:00 a.m. on Friday. They reportedly include images of Pyeongtaek in the central part of South Korea and Osan near Seoul, where US military bases are located.

The paper also mentioned a plan for the satellite to photograph "the enemy region" on Saturday morning.
Kim was said to have visited the control center the day after Tuesday's launch, where he observed aerial imagery of the US Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

North Korea has yet to release any of these photos.

Pyongyang has indicated the new reconnaissance satellite will start operating on December 1. But South Korea's intelligence agency says it will not be able to determine the satellite's capabilities unless Pyongyang releases images.