North Korea claims it has the right to pursue a nuclear program, citing what it calls hostile activities by the United States. 

According to Voice of America, the North defended its policies during UN General Assembly First Committee discussions in New York on Sunday, local time, after countries including the U.K., France and Japan called for continuous sanctions on the regime until it takes concrete steps toward denuclearization. 

In response, the North’s ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, claimed Washington is continuing hostile activities, citing a series of missiles the U.S. has test-launched this year, including the Minuteman-III ICBM, and the resumption of joint military exercises with South Korea. 

Expressing opposition to what he called a global trend to return to a nuclear arms race, he stressed the North’s self-defense rights and asserted Pyongyang will neither accept UNSC sanctions nor acknowledge them. 

He also said strong national power provides a fundamental guarantee for independent development and peaceful prosperity. 

The ambassador also refuted a recent denouncement by six European countries against its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile test, calling it a grave provocation against the regime and accusing the U.S. of orchestrating it.