The South Korean military has reevaluated security threats on the Korean Peninsula, reflecting North Korea's ruling party congress earlier this year and aggravated Sino-U.S. tensions.

In a report for a parliamentary audit on Wednesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) pledged to develop the nation's deterrence and countermeasures through a reassessment of the changing strategic environment.

This comes after Pyongyang recently conducted a series of missile tests, including that of a new hypersonic missile, after announcing plans to continue arms development at the January party congress.

The JCS said while the possibility for military provocations and a return to dialogue coexist, the North Korean regime faces challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and intensifying economic crisis.

The JCS pledged to advance under Seoul and Washington's "customized deterrence" against Pyongyang's reinforcement of nuclear and missile capabilities.

Regarding the North's call on the South to drop double standards on arms development, following the latter's recent missile tests, the JCS stressed that its operation of military assets abides by international laws.