North Korea’s leader pledged Thursday his nation will never give up nuclear weapons, as it seeks to counter the threat of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Kim Jong-un made the comments at a gathering of North Korea’s parliament, where members on Thursday approved a new law allowing North Korea to carry out a preventive nuclear first strike, while declaring the nation’s nuclear-armed status “irreversible.”

Kim Jong-un: “As long as nuclear weapons remain on Earth, and imperialism remains, and maneuvers of the United States and its followers against our republic are not terminated, our work to strengthen nuclear force will not cease.”