The South Korean military will develop hypersonic guided missiles and ship-based laser weapons to better counter North Korean nuclear threats and weapons of mass destruction.

The Defense Ministry on Wednesday held a meeting of nationwide military commanders and assessed the accomplishments of this year's defense policies and also discussed policy directions for next year.

Five key tasks for 2021 were presented during the meeting including steadfast defense readiness, advancing the South Korea-U.S. alliance and building a military that is trusted by the Korean people.

In particular, strategic and operational capabilities to respond to nuclear and WMD threats will be strengthened.

Regarding the transfer of wartime operational control from the U.S., the ministry said the related procedures and discussions will be accelerated based on security conditions and the COVID-19 situation.

It also promised to push to hold tests as soon as possible next year to assess the full operational capability(FOC) of the future Combined Forces Command.