Speaking on New Year’s Eve on the final day of a six-day plenary session that reviewed 2022, Kim said South Korea has become an “undoubted enemy” and its main ally, the US, has increased pressure on the North to the “maximum” level over the past year by frequently deploying its military assets to the Korean Peninsula.South Korea’s Defense Ministry later responded to Kim’s comments, calling them “provocative language that seriously harms peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.” The ministry urged Pyongyang to “immediately stop” developing nuclear weapons and return to the path of denuclearization, warning that the “Kim Jong Un regime will come to an end if North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons.” The ministry vowed to maintain its military readiness posture to “firmly respond” to any North Korean threats, adding that the military will strengthen its “three-axis” defense system designed to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.Expert: North Korea expanding capabilities Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Pyongyang has used the past year to demonstrate its ability to perform a range of military strikes.As well as deploying assets like F-22 fighters and B-1 bombers to the exercises around the Korean Peninsula, the US military recently activated its first Space Force command on foreign soil in South Korea, with the unit’s new commander saying he is ready to face any threat in the region.“The word test is no longer appropriate to talk about most North Korean missile launches.” “Most of the missiles they’ve launched this year are parts of military exercises."