The South Korean military slammed a statement by the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pinning responsibility for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula on President Yoon Suk Yeol.

In a reply on Wednesday, Seoul's defense ministry said the assertions by Kim Yo-jong are "far-fetched and sophistic" akin to a criminal claiming that they committed a crime because of innocent citizens or the police.

The ministry then pledged to immediately and strongly punish the North until the end for any type of provocation based on a firm readiness posture.

In Tuesday's statement, the younger Kim denounced Yoon's New Year's Day address unveiling a plan to complete the enhanced South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence system to deter any nuclear and missile threat by the regime.

She said Seoul's deterrence plan has provided justification for Pyongyang to further spur efforts to secure more overwhelming nuclear capability.