Major players in North Korea’s aerospace sector gathered last week to discuss “peaceful space development” plans and how to link new satellite technology research with economic growth, state media reported on Sunday, as concerns remain about potential military applications of the country’s space program.

The event comes after DPRK leader Kim Jong Un ordered development of a military reconnaissance satellite in January, and after South Korea’s test-launch of an indigenous space launch vehicle last month. 

North Korean propaganda promoting the aerospace sector has steadily increasedin recent years, and Pyongyang has held a “Symposium on Space Science” every year since