North Korea is building a satellite launch pad with "new urgency."

According to a study based on commercial satellite photos, construction at North Korea's satellite launching pad has reached a "new level of urgency," most likely in preparation for a launch.

North Korea claims to have finished its first military surveillance satellite, and its leader, Kim Jong Un, has cleared final preparations for a launch to send it in orbit, though no date has been announced.

Commercial satellite footage from Monday reveals that development on a new launch pad in a coastal location east of North Korea's Sohae Satellite Launching Station is advancing at a "remarkable pace," according to 38 North, a Washington-based group that monitors North Korea.

"While the key components of the Sohae complex have been undergoing modernization and expansion over the past year, this uptick in activity suggests a new level of urgency in making the site ready to accommodate satellite launches," the report said.

North Korea is developing a new launch pad at Sohae, with modifications to the gantry tower and a storage for fuel and oxidizer. Analysts say a military satellite is part of North Korea's efforts to advance surveillance technology.