As for the rationale for the early deployment, Hwang stressed Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats as being "obvious and real."

"North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are no longer (just) potential," he said, underscoring that last year alone, the unruly regime conducted two nuclear tests in January and September.

"Its nuclear and missile capabilities are developing at an unprecedented rate," he stressed.

Hwang has been serving as the acting president since Dec. 9 after President Park Geun-hye was impeached by parliament over a corruption scandal.

In his opening remarks, Hwang reiterated his vow to push for seamless policy coordination with the newly launched U.S.
administration on a set of key issues, including the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

During the New Year's meeting with local reporters, Hwang also reiterated that his government will establish a robust security posture based on its self-defense capabilities and the Seoul-Washington alliance to ward off Pyongyang's possible provocations.

"(The Seoul government) will push in earnest for seamless policy coordination (with Washington) for the development of the South Korea-US alliance, the handling of North Korea's nuclear issue and the development of economic and trade relations," Hwang said.

Over the past month or so, Seoul has been trying to establish ties with the new government in Washington by sending security and diplomatic officials to the US for talks with Trump's high-level aides.

The move came amid concerns about shifts in the bilateral alliance that have been spawned by a series of Trump's election-year remarks. His remarks highlighted general skepticism about America's security alliances with South Korea and other nations, and free trade deals.

Hwang also renewed his pledge to apply "across-the-board" pressure to the recalcitrant regime in Pyongyang to induce its denuclearization.

"(South Korea) will continue to induce North Korea's denuclearization through the framework of across-the-board sanctions on Pyongyang that has been established through cooperation between Seoul and Washington and with the international community," he said. (Yonhap)