North vows to initiate vibrant space projects amid worries over potential spy satellite launch

Image of Seoul, right, and Incheon, which North Korea claimed were taken from a ″test-piece satellite,″ were released by the North on Dec. 19, 2022. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

North Korea vowed Wednesday to pursue more space development projects on the occasion of the International Day of Human Space Flight, according to state media, amid concerns over its potential launch of a military spy satellite this month.

North Korea has an "unwavering" willingness to turn itself into a global space powerhouse as outer space belongs to all mankind, not something monopolized or possessed by a specific country, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The International Day of Human Space Flight is annually celebrated April 12 to mark the first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen.

The North said the country's space development projects are "vibrantly" making progress in line with the spirit of the Outer Space Treaty, which stipulates that a sovereign state has the right to peacefully use outer space, the KCNA said.

The report came as North Korea earlier said it will complete preparations for putting its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit by April.

In December last year, the secretive regime released black-and-white photos of Seoul and a port in Incheon, which it said were shot from its "test-piece satellite."

Earlier this month, the North highlighted the 10th founding anniversary of the National Aerospace Development Administration, the state agency in charge of developing satellites.

Yonhap