North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations reiterated Pyongyang's intention of retaining its nuclear weapons in order to maintain peace through superior firepower.

The remarks were made by Ambassador Kim Song in his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

[Sound bite: N. Korean Ambassador to United Nations Kim Song (Korean/English translation)]
"In the present world, where high-handedness based on strengths are rampant, genuine peace can only be safeguarded when one possesses absolute strength to prevent war itself."
"It is a matter of fact that we badly need an external environment favorable for economic construction. But we can not sell off our dignity just in the hope of a brilliant transformation, the dignity which we have defended as valuable as our own life."

During the ten-minute speech, the ambassador made no direct reference to the United States or President Donald Trump.