South Korea plans to step up its readiness against potential terrorist attacks by North Korea next year as part of broader efforts to guard against the communist country's security threats, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.
  

"Our military will maintain a firm readiness posture in order to contain and respond resolutely to North Korea's various provocations, including its nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction," read the ministry's 2016 policy plan discussed in a biannual meeting of key military commanders and leaders held earlier in the day.
  

"To that end, the ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will maintain a posture to contain North Korea's nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, as well as upgrading and solidifying anti-terrorism units to prepare against a hoard of terrorist attacks," according to the ministry.
  

About 150 three- and four-star generals from all branches of the military and heads of defense-related government organizations gathered together for the meeting aimed at assessing this year's performance and policy planning for next year.
  

Defense Minister Han Min-koo stressed the invincibility of the military, saying that "The unchanging value of our military is to win in a war with the enemy under any circumstance."
  

The Defense Ministry will also push to establish a research center for cyber defense to defend the country against growing threats in the cyber sphere and in space, the ministry said.
  

It also plans to hold a regular joint mock exercise with the United States in the field of space warfare. (Yonhap)