North Korea has announced plans for a nuclear test, saying it has no choice due to American hostility.

In a Foreign Ministry statement Tuesday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said it will never be the one to use nuclear arms first, and will strictly prohibit the transfer of nuclear weapons.

The statement also pledged an all-out effort to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, global nuclear disarmament and ultimate dismantlement.

However, the North said it can no longer just stand by and do nothing about extreme U.S. pressure and isolation tactics, saying its latest move is to boost its war deterrence capabilities.