North Korea says it’s fueling its rocket ahead of the planned launch.

What’s the takeaway from that? We’re talking about a liquid fueled rocket, not one with solid rocket boosters (SRBs). SRBs are the kinds of missiles/rockets that the US and Russians use as part of their ICBM/IRBM inventories because they’re transportable, stable, and generally dependable to launch on no notice. Liquid fueled boosters are used in the space shuttle and other launch platforms when you want to adjust the thrust during the launch or want the capability to shut down the rocket altogether.

Those are all issues in favor of this being a launch for civilian purposes.

However, data gleaned from the launch would have applications for North Korea’s military program. They’d be able to gain data about how North Korean tech handles g-loads, data transmissions, and other technical data that could be transferred to the military side. Putting satellites into space would also expand North Korea’s intel/military capabilities, and that knowledge would inform future launches and military programs.

In short, they’re launching a missile that has all the hallmarks of a civilian application, but the data from which can be used for military purposes.