Yuri Gagarin, an astronaut of the Soviet Union, made a 1 hour and 48 minute flight around the earth aboard spacecraft Vostok and safely returned to the earth on April 12, 1961, becoming the world's first man who succeeded in manned space flight.

The 65th session of the UN General Assembly held on April 7, 2011 adopted a resolution to celebrate April 12 as International Day of Human Space Flight in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the flight.

Over the past 60-odd years since human's maiden advance into the vast outer space, space science and technology have made signal development.

The brisk space activities in developing countries indicate the end of the past era defined by only a few countries' advance to space and the start of the new era of multi-polarization in space development.

Basic principles of international space laws including the Outer Space Treaty confirm that space is a treasure common to humankind and that all sovereign countries reserve the legitimate right to space development and use.

Space development is making headway in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, too.

The foundation of the National Aerospace Development Administration and the adoption of the law on aerospace development in 2013 spurred the space activities of the country.

The National Non-permanent Space Science and Technology Committee and the Korea Space Association were formed to broaden the study and academic exchanges for promotion of space development and use.

It is the fixed stand of our Party and government to build our country as a world-level space power.

The DPRK had already and successfully put on space orbit its test and working satellites, made by its own efforts 100 percent ranging from designing and manufacture to assembly, thereby laying a reliable foundation for space conquest.

Its cause of building a space power will surely come true as long as there are the wise leadership of the great Party and a large contingent of talented scientists and technicians.