North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) is conducting “brisk” work to launch “various kinds of satellites” in the future, state media reported on Monday, as the country prepares to put a military satellite into orbit as soon as this spring. 

NADA vice director Pak Kyong Su told the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that satellites will help the country develop in “various fields including agriculture, fishery, meteorological observation, communication, natural resources exploration, land management and disaster prevention.”

While Pak didn’t mention military applications, his comments came after NADA announcedin December that it would “finish preparations for the [country’s]