The government says it is closely watching North Korea amid reports that Pyongyang is likely to delay its goal of becoming a powerful nation from 2012 to 2020.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters Monday that a report issued by the North’s Korean Central News Agency last Saturday designated 2020 as the year the North will be at the level of advanced nations.

Previously, the North had pinpointed the year 2012 as the year the North would be on par with advanced countries.

Chun said the recent description suggests that Pyongyang has postponed the year it plans to become a powerful nation.

The spokesman added, however, that Seoul would need to watch the North more closely to find out whether it has indeed put off such plans. Chun noted that a recently unveiled North Korean plan on the strategies it plans to pursue in the next ten years focuses on economic development based on attracting foreign capital.