Minister of National Defense nominee Shin Won-sik responds to questions from lawmakers during a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

South and North Korea have engaged in a heated exchange of words regarding a nuclear war, intensifying the military tension on the Korean Peninsula.

On Wednesday, Shin Won-sik, the nominee for South Korea's defense minister, delivered a resolute message regarding the North Korean nuclear threat, saying, "If North Korea attempts a nuclear attack, the North Korean regime will face its ultimate demise."

He made the remarks during his opening statement at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.

Shin's remarks came a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a forceful response to North Korea's rhetoric during his speech at the 75th anniversary celebration of Armed Forces Day.

"If North Korea provokes, our military will respond immediately, and if North Korea uses nuclear weapons, we will bring the North Korean regime to an end through an overwhelming response from the ROK-U.S. alliance," President Yoon said.

Yoon also stressed the inadequacy of nuclear weapons in guaranteeing North Korea's security, emphasizing that South Korea, fortified by its military capabilities and the robust ROK-U.S. alliance, stands ready to respond decisively to any nuclear provocations.

Following Yoon's speech, North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song said, "The Korean Peninsula is in a hair-trigger situation with imminent danger of nuclear war breakout," at the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York, Tuesday (local time).

In his address, Kim reiterated North Korea's commitment to enhancing its self-defense capabilities and its resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and security. He firmly restated North Korea's enduring position of retaining its nuclear arsenal.

"Given the prevailing circumstances, the DPRK is urgently required to further accelerate the build-up of its self-defense capabilities to defend itself impregnably," he added.

Responding to Kim Song's speech, Kim Sang-jin, South Korea's deputy permanent representative to the U.N., delivered a rebuttal after the conclusion of the 78th UN General Assembly's proceedings.

"Do you really believe, as the DPRK claims, that the ROK, along with the United States, conspires to provoke nuclear war?" the South Korean official said. "How many member states in this chamber are seriously aligned with the DPRK's false assertions?"

In the view of many experts, North Korea remains the central player in efforts to ease tensions.

"The key player in this situation remains North Korea. South Korea and the U.S. have consistently sought avenues for unconditional dialogue with North Korea, with Japan also participating in these discussions. Nevertheless, despite these sustained efforts, North Korea has refrained from engaging in dialogue and has instead chosen to provoke and strengthen its military relationships with Russia," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University.

"As a result, in the current circumstances, both South Korea and the U.S. feel compelled to bolster their deterrence capabilities, as strengthening deterrence could potentially pave the way for North Korea to reconsider returning to the negotiation table."