The South Korean government urged North Korea to stop its unjustified nuclear and missile development programs and return to dialogue on denuclearization.

The foreign ministry released a statement on Tuesday after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, claimed that Washington's proposal for dialogue on disarmament without preconditions is a tactic to buy time.

The ministry’s statement said it was Pyongyang that has deceived the international community and advanced its nuclear and missile programs for the past 30 years despite multiple offers of concessions in return for denuclearization.

As for Kim’s claim that the Washington-proposed complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement(CVID) is outdated, Seoul said Pyongyang has no other choice as it is legally obligated to fulfill it under eleven UN Security Council resolutions.

The ministry assessed the North to have issued the statement as a part of an attempt to deflect criticisms from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) following its recent provocations.