The government is mulling the deletion of the controversial term, "main enemy," a reference to North Korea, from a military white paper due in October.

A high-ranking government official said Wednesday that the use of the concept is considered meaningless at a time when military tensions between the two Koreas are easing and inter-Korean exchanges are in full swing.

The official was quick to add, however, that even if the term is not used in the future, North Korea's nuclear weapons development remains by far the biggest threat to South Korea's security, and that a peaceful resolution of the North's nuclear issue must be sought.

The official said the Defense Ministry is considering replacing the term "main enemy" with "main threat" or simply "military threat."