North Korea says it has established an administrative organization to protect intellectual property in line with the regime’s apparent desire to foster technological innovation and boost economic development.

This is according to an article published Sunday on the North’s propaganda website Naenara, citing remarks from the chief of the newly minted organization, Kim Yong-chol.  

Kim reportedly pledged to make active contributions to the economic construction and development of scientific technologies by further expanding and strengthening projects to protect intellectual property in the country.

The article noted that efforts are under way to establish legal and institutional conditions for the protection of intellectual property.

Sunday’s article is the first time that the intellectual property bureau was mentioned by a North Korean state media outlet.