South Korea's military on Thursday presented a bill to expand its nuclear and weapons of mass destruction threat response center to better counter evolving military threats from North Korea, according to officials.

The bill calls for the reorganization and expansion of the center under the Joint Chiefs of Staff into a larger directorate-level body, the Defense Ministry said.

The JCS has recommended the plan as part of efforts to better deter and respond to various threats, including those from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The bill is expected to take effect at the start of next year after the gathering of opinions from related agencies and an approval from the Cabinet. (Yonhap)