Asked about North Korea's recently tested submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the Pukguksong-3, the chairman said that the weapon does not seem to be at the stage of operational deployment.

Park also said the military is closely monitoring the situation for any additional launches and vowed to beef up the military's interception capabilities to counter such threats.

The chairman also said the North's SLBM is believed to be a two-stage, solid-fuel missile with extended flight range. Earlier media reports said that the missile appears to be made of three stages.

North Korea did not provide details, but experts have said that the latest version of its Pukguksong missile is presumed to have a flight range of 2,000 km or longer. The Pukguksong-1 SLBM and the Pukguksong-2 ground-based missile have flight ranges of around 1,300 km.

Pointing to potential threats from North Korea's electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bombs, the JCS also vowed to accelerate the establishment of protection facilities.

An EMP bomb refers to a nuclear weapon designed to be detonated at a high altitude so as to generate powerful electromagnetic pulses that can destroy electronic and electrical devices on the ground. The North has long been believed to be developing EMP weapons.

"(The JCS) designated 55 locations as command facilities in response to EMP threats, and 18 places completed securing such capabilities or have been going through a related process," the JCS said, adding that it will push to bring forward the date of its full completion from 2051 to 2039. (Yonhap)