North Korea says it has unwavering willingness to turn itself into a global space powerhouse.

The Wednesday edition of the ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried an article related to space development, as April 12 is designated as the International Day of Human Space Flight.

The newspaper reported that North Korea's space development projects are actively making progress in line with the global trend. It added that every sovereign state has the right to use outer space peacefully.

Earlier, Pyongyang said it would complete preparations by April for putting its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

The South Korean intelligence organization suggested that the North will very likely launch the spy satellite soon.

Relevant countries are on alert for the possible launch, as Pyongyang will celebrate the birthday of the country's founding father Kim Il Sung on Saturday and a military memorial day on April 25.

Defying UN Security Council resolutions, North Korea has repeatedly launched apparent long-range ballistic missiles that it said were satellites.