South Korea will further enhance its effort to deter military provocation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), especially its security threats directed at western border islands and the capital region, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

Seoul plans to achieve "early fortification" of the islands deemed vulnerable to Pyongyang's aggression and create a new military command to effectively control forces stationed there, the ministry said in a report submitted to President Lee Myung-bak.

The ministry will bolster surveillance and forces for counterattack against threats of Pyongyang's potential artillery attacks on Seoul and the surrounding capital region, it added in the report focused on the ministry's major goals for 2011.

Drills aimed at defeating regional provocations by Pyongyang will be regularly held, and joint defense readiness of Seoul and Washington against regional provocations will be further strengthened, the ministry added.

The South Korean military will also go through a sweeping reform, with the ministry eyeing 73 short-term and long-term goals ranging from increasing combat readiness to better preparing for the scheduled transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul and to ultimately readying the military for "comprehensive security threats".

The defense ministry had become a lightning rod for public criticism after a series of military accidents.

In response to public outcry, the defense ministry announced its plans for defense posture and comprehensive military reforms. Seoul also replaced its defense chief in an attempt at boosting military morale.