South Korea’s Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Joon-kook strongly denounced North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations as explicit violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

Speaking at a session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Hwang noted that the regime has fired a record 39 ballistic missiles this year and appears to be nearly ready to conduct a seventh nuclear test.

The ambassador urged UN member states, especially Security Council members, to deliver a stern message to Pyongyang, calling upon the regime to choose a different path and respond to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s “bold initiative” that offers concessions in exchange for denuclearization steps.

The North Korean mission at the UN, in response, slammed Seoul and Washington for their combined military exercise, accusing the allies of seeking to overthrow the regime.

The South Korean mission rebutted, saying the joint drills are the allies' minimal defensive mechanism amid the North's repeated violation of Security Council resolutions.