[ Anchor
Lead] The US White House announced satellite images of North Korea delivering weapons to the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary company, foretelling additional sanctions.
Wagner's group protested publicly.
This is reporter Lee Hong-gap.
<Reporter>
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, a mercenary company known as Russian President Putin's shadow unit, posted a short message on social media.
He said, "Mr. Kirby, can you clarify what the crime Wagner is alleged to have committed?"
It is an open protest against the designation of the Wagner Group as an 'international criminal organization' and foreshadowing additional sanctions, as the White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby released satellite photos of North Korea providing weapons to the Wagner Group.
Since then, there has been no additional response, but analysis suggests that it may have foreshadowed a counter-war response to the United States.
Prior to this, the United States designated the Wagner Group as a group of special concern, such as the Islamic militant group, in December of last year.
[Tony Blincoln/US Secretary of State (December of last year): The Wagner Group promotes and exploits instability, threatens stability, undermines good governance, robs the country's mineral resources, and violates human rights.]
North Korea is Wagner It has not yet issued a statement regarding the White House's announcement that weapons were provided to the group.