South Korea on Monday condemned North Korea for threatening to carry out nuclear attacks against U.S. military assets in the South, saying that the latest provocation clearly proves that Pyongyang's recent dialogue offer was just a bogus peace initiative.

North Korea's National Defense Commission said that its military has long put U.S. bases in South Korea in the range of its precision strike, warning Washington that it has the capacity to carry out nuclear strikes.

Seoul's unification ministry said that the North's threat shows the series of inter-Korean dialogue offers are just a propaganda ploy without sincerity.

"With North Korea's bogus peace offensive failing its purpose, the North appears to be seeking a change in our attitude by blackmailing us," Jeong Joon-hee, ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing.

The government hopes that North Korea's latest treat will not drive a wedge in the unified front in implementing tougher sanctions against the communist country, he added.

At the North's ruling party congress held in early May, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered to hold military talks with Seoul, but South Korea rejected the move.

The Seoul government countered that Pyongyang needs to reaffirm its commitment to denuclearization in order for talks to begin in earnest.

The North's young leader called his country a "responsible" nuclear state, vowing not to use its nuclear weapons first if it is not attacked by others with nukes.

The ministry dismissed a local report that the government will not hold any talks with North Korea until September when the implementation of the U.N. sanctions against the North's nuclear and missile tests enter into the six month.

"What's important is that North Korea should take firm actions towards denuclearization," Jeong said. "The government did not designate the specific time frame in assessing the effects of the sanctions and setting its North Korean policy." (Yonhap)