A North Korean newspaper has made a fresh call for the world to recognize Pyongyang’s rights to space development.

In an article on Monday, the official newspaper of the North’s ruling Workers' Party, the Rodong Sinmun, said peaceful space development is a legitimate right for any sovereign country. 

It claimed that its satellite launches are a rightful exercise of rights guaranteed under international law, including the UN Charter and the Outer Space Treaty. 

Citing recent satellite launches by Algeria and Venezuela, the North Korean newspaper argued that many countries around the world are launching satellites to raise their national competitiveness.   

The newspaper also said that the country successfully launched a satellite with practical applications in February 2016, the Kwangmyongsong-4. 

However, there is speculation that the North’s satellite program serves as a pretext for long-range missile tests.