North Korea has set out plans to plant its flag on the moon within a decade.
The director of the country’s version of Nasa said a five-year plan was under way to launch advanced satellites into orbit despite international sanctions.
Hyon Kwang Il, a scientist at North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration, told the Associated Press: “Even though the US and its allies try to block our space development, our aerospace scientists will conquer space and definitely plant the flag of the DPRK on the moon."
He added North Korea was hoping to conduct scientific experiments in space, make flights to the moon and explore other planets.
He said: “All of this work will be the basis for the flight to the moon,"
Leader Kim Jong Un has ordered scientists to launch more Earth observation satellites as part a major technological advance.
Universities are also said to be training rocket scientists in preparation.
Mr Hyon added: “We are planning to develop the Earth observation satellites and to solve communications problems by developing geostationary satellites.
“All of this work will be the basis for the flight to the moon.”
He said he would like to see the work happen "within 10 years' time."
The comments emerged a day after North Korea launched a missile that landed in Japanese waters, which prompted the US to warn it was ready to defend "ourselves and our allies".
