Kim Jong-un has reportedly been studying dated Google Earth photos as he continues to develop his nuclear programme.
The North Korean leader is understood to have hosted a massive celebration to congratulate his nuclear scientists and technicians who steered the country's sixth and largest nuclear test a week ago.
But new propaganda photos released by the regime appear to show him studying maps of the Anderson Air Base in Guam that were taken at least six years ago, amid claims he does not have the technology to precisely pinpoint targets.
Nick Henson at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation, told Voice of America the evidence suggests that North Korea has no satellites of its own and therefore has to use publicly available images.
It comes as tensions continue to escalate between the country and the US.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed its toughest-ever sanctions package against North Korea on Monday.
The council imposed a US-drafted ban on the country’s textile exports as well as capping imports of crude oil – but was forced to water down an initial tougher bill which called for a total oil ban for the state.
In response, North Korea's envoy to the UN warned “forthcoming measures” will “make the US suffer the greatest pain” it has ever experienced.
Pyongyang's ambassador, Han Tae Song, made the vitriolic comments at the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
He said: “The Washington regime fired up for political, economic, and military confrontation, [is] obsessed with the wild game of reversing the DPRK's development of nuclear force which has already reached the completion phase”.
Additional reporting by agencies
Latest iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iOS 11 news live – follow all the updates here.
