The U.S. stepped up intelligence collection and surveillance efforts on North Korea earlier this week, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Thursday, issuing what analysts described as an "odd" statement after recent satellite-related testing by Pyongyang.

The statement, issued by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), also came just hours before Kim Jong Un was pictured Thursday by state media at a satellite control center to discuss "reconnaissance satellite" development.