South Korea pledged to reinforce sanctions against North Korea in cooperation with the U.S. and Japan should the North conduct its seventh nuclear test or another serious provocation.

In a report submitted to parliament on Monday, the foreign ministry said Pyongyang increased its security threats by conducting an unprecedented number and scope of missile tests this year.

The ministry assessed that the North is also taking advantage of diplomatic deadlock in the UN Security Council as tensions rise between the U.S. and fellow permanent members China and Russia, resulting in a failure to produce a united response to Pyongyang.

Referring to Seoul, Washington and Tokyo's recent back-to-back saNctions, the ministry said the three sides plan to seek ways to block the regime's generation of funds from illIcit cyber and other non-traditional activities.

The ministry also pledged to persuade China and Russia to join the international community in condemning the North's threatening actions.